Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Ares's Doubts
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"You wouldn't be thinking something weird again, would you?"
"I'm done with that. Everything's working out fine without me sticking my neck out. I know that jumping in now would just be self-indulgence disguised as concern for the people."
Ares said this as he carefully eyed his completed manuscript.
"So much has changed while I was away from the world for a bit..."
"..."
The Third Prince Ares had never bothered studying imperial governance as expected. Instead, he'd made his mark by casually dropping chilling remarks like that, yet he still couldn't be chosen as heir.
Before his own mother Aisha—who doted on him especially—passed away, he could at least compete to some degree. But to Eirene, who valued efficiency above all, an emperor prone to idle thoughts was utterly unacceptable.
Ares himself didn't seem particularly interested in the throne anyway, so he never clashed head-on with Eirene.
"Who could've guessed a god would descend in the meantime?"
"Didn't you just sound like you don't believe in gods a moment ago?"
"Let me ask you first, Big Sister. Do you believe in gods?"
"..."
Linea hesitated for a long while before slowly nodding.
"Whether I believe or not aside... something close to a god definitely exists. After all, inexplicable events that couldn't be anything but divine have happened repeatedly, and I've witnessed almost all of them from the front lines."
"I see."
Ares rose naturally from his seat and rummaged through a drawer that looked utterly disorganized at first glance, pulling out a teapot with surprising ease.
Despite being a prince, he never ordered maids around for chores. From fetching things to hosting tea time, he did everything himself.
He rejected all the formalities the imperial family typically observed.
Before Eirene converted to the Igugwoden Church and minimized luxuries, Ares's behavior had often been treated as eccentric.
"I got my hands on some decent Lapsang Souchong. What do you think?"
"Doesn't matter to me."
"Come to think of it, you never had a taste for tea, did you, Linea? Yuria would've appreciated it."
He said this while skillfully brewing the tea.
Every motion was incredibly restrained, making him look less like a prince and more like a high-ranking butler.
"Here."
Linea drank what Ares handed her.
The rich, smoky aroma slid down her throat and into her mind, calming her mood a touch.
"You know, according to the Holy Scripture, the Sole God is Lord Igugwoden, and all miracles are his 'Plain Facts,' right?"
"Yeah."
"And ever since Saintess Erin appeared—like you said—various miracles have been happening left and right."
"What are you getting at?"
Ares took a sip of his tea.
"So, Lord Igugwoden, the Sole God, existed all along. Why didn't he share his 'Plain Facts' before the saintess showed up?"
"...!"
"Unlike the saintess, the religion has been around forever. If a god exists, miracles should've happened even without her, right?"
"But there are records of saintesses appearing every 200 years, performing divine miracles—"
"Are there records of handing out massive amounts of free chicken, making peace with demons, or turning nonbelievers into devout followers after a single meeting?"
"Th-that's..."
She hadn't looked into it herself, but seeing him say that, it was clear he'd done his homework.
And Ares said exactly what Linea expected.
"Records of saintesses repelling monsters or holy knights protecting people from demons with them... They're all vague and nonspecific. In other words, Erin is a saintess of unprecedented power, one not found anywhere in Igugwoden Church history."
"...So?"
"If we prove a god's existence through miracles, then logically, it's not the Igugwoden from the Holy Scripture—it's Saintess Erin, whom you're protecting as a member of Dish of Holy Knights."
"Saintess Erin is..."
"So, what do you think, Big Sister—"
—Saintess Erin... is the god?
Linea pictured Erin's face.
She certainly possessed an exceedingly noble soul.
If she wanted, seizing even more power would've been easy, yet she devoted herself purely to spreading Lord Igugwoden's Plain Facts.
But... she's human. She breathes, eats, thinks, loves, and hates just like us.
"...Saintess Erin is human."
"Yeah, that's what I think too. That's why I said there's no god."
"But the miracles are real."
"White magic still has many unexplained aspects. I lack the talent, so I wouldn't know, but watching high mages from the Magic Tower cast spells sometimes looks no different from miracles."
"So everything's just magic? Even the Demon King turning into a little girl?"
"We don't even know if the Demon King truly descended or if it's just a girl the church prepared. Horns or wings? Easy to add with magic."
"And beyond that—"
At that moment.
Ares bowed his head slightly.
"Sorry for cutting you off, Big Sister. But I'm not trying to insist there's absolutely no god or anything like that."
"...Huh?"
"God or no god doesn't matter—what matters is how the world is changing and the direction it's heading. If the direction is right, who holds the reins of power is irrelevant, don't you think?"
"...Aren't you worried?"
"About what?"
"The religious order's power growing out of control. You know all the historical precedents."
"Is it okay for a member of Dish of Holy Knights to say that?"
"Answer the question."
"I'm not worried."
"Why?"
Ares turned to gaze out the window.
"The past was more precarious."
"The past?"
"Mother was clearly on the path to ruin. A blood-soaked road worshiping power alone, one that would've made her hated by all."
As he said, until recently, the imperial family's state wasn't great.
Vassals eyed opportunities to claim their rights, while Empress Eirene did anything to strengthen imperial authority.
Linea's dispatch to the religious order was part of that—to bring the church under her control and bolster the family's position.
...Of course, no one foresaw it turning out like this.
"But not anymore. Mother's walking the path of faith now. Believing in a god means embracing belief in people too. And that's not all. The church discarded rigid doctrines, proclaimed alignment with the people's will as divine intent, and achieved peace by communicating with demons we thought we'd feud with forever, right?"
"They're delivering perfect results. Do we really need to check the religion, god or no god?"
"So you think it's fine if Mother or the vassals change just from meeting the saintess, like everyone else?"
Ares's pupils dilated for a moment, then he nodded slowly as if understanding.
"So that's it. Your biggest worry, Linea."
"..."
"It's a bit scary, sure... but I think it's okay. Results are everything in the end."
"Results are everything..."
Linea stared silently at her teacup.
Her anxious face reflected perfectly in the crimson liquid filling the old cup without a ripple.
"Big Sister. Remember Mother's speech a few days ago for building a temple to serve Lord Igugwoden?"
"Yeah. I do."
"She must've studied the scriptures a lot. Every line wove in divine words."
"She's studied religion more than expected."
"Of course. Like it or not, religion—not politics—is rewriting this era."
"Anyway, Mother's become a sage ruler. Needless political strife has all but vanished, and the people chant her name alongside the god's."
—I didn't even need to lift a finger.
He muttered that softly, then swallowed it back.
"Well, that's only if the church keeps 'functioning' properly. With the current saintess, I doubt we'll have issues."
"Ares..."
"Of course, if a god really exists contrary to my thoughts—and cherishes us—wouldn't that be best for us humans? After all—"
—If we can all head the right way without bloodshed, that's ideal.
"...!"
"So I think... it's fine if the church's authority keeps growing. What matters is how many people can be happy. That's politics, right? Not who does it, but how. Sorry I can't agree with you, Big Sister, but that's how I see it."
Linea had no words for Ares, who smiled faintly as he spoke.
* * *
"Hmm..."
I checked the final panel, then reread the whole thing again.
So that's the Third Prince Ares, mentioned but never shown until now.
He'd never appeared, but I never forgot his name. After all, he was the one who rebelled in Eirene's delusion.
Linea oddly relied on him too, so I figured he wasn't just some extra... and yeah, his thinking was exceptionally sharp.
'Was he planning a revolution to overthrow the monarchy for a republic or something?'
In the world line where 'I keep dumping divine power to school Eirene,' he seemed to leap further to a communist state... Either way, a character with those ideas made sense for divine power going haywire like that.
I marveled anew at the author's design. Even seemingly throwaway details connected intricately, making it feel like a real otherworld.
'To think this god-tier comic is drawn just for me...'
I glanced at the view count stuck at 1 and cautiously messaged the author.
[ Igugwoden: This chapter was fun too ]
[ Igugwoden: Looks like Ares doesn't believe in me? ]
Sure, he acts like god or no god doesn't matter and seems to accept religion on the surface—
But I could tell. He wasn't thrilled with this situation.
Saying he didn't need to act, or self-deprecating his involvement as mere ego... Yeah.
Frankly, it felt like a young lord regretting the loss of justification for his 'revolution.'
[ PleaseGiveMeMoney: From what I've observed, yes ]
[ PleaseGiveMeMoney: Even with divine miracles before their eyes, it's hard for created beings to fully grasp them with mortal logic, so please don't be too upset ]
[ Igugwoden: Nah nah nah, not mad or anything ]
[ Igugwoden: Hmm ]
The author says that, but from a character standpoint, it's not weird for him to think that way.
Truth is, before Erin descended, I wasn't the one running this world.
The proposition that the god is Saintess Erin, not Igugwoden, actually gets close to the essence. My first miracle was giving her water, after all.
Anyway.
If he's the seed of revolution, I need to nip it.
Why? Simple. Eirene sits on the throne.
And Eirene's my wife. For real.
A husband protecting his wife is only natural, right?
[ Igugwoden: We need to bring Ares into the church fold ]
[ Igugwoden: Can't have him flipping out and starting a revolution suddenly ]
[ PleaseGiveMeMoney: Planning to share Plain Facts through Erin? ]
[ Igugwoden: No ]
Clicking would easily convert him—
But this chapter confirmed something else.
Linea is deeply afraid of the whole process of her awakening to Plain Facts through Erin.
Can't blame her. Kids go nuts after one taste of scripture—I'd be terrified too if I were her, Plain Facts or not.
Long-term, I want to corrupt her faith too, so pass on that method.
Plus... it's a comic. Repeating patterns gets boring.
[ Igugwoden: This time ]
[ Igugwoden: Gonna let him taste Plain Facts in a slightly different way ]
[ PleaseGiveMeMoney: With divine power, nothing is impossible ]
[ PleaseGiveMeMoney: Intervene as much as Lord Igugwoden deems fit ]
[ PleaseGiveMeMoney: The world will always find the best response for Lord Igugwoden ]
[ PleaseGiveMeMoney: After all, I exist here for Lord Igugwoden ]
[ Igugwoden: lolol why do you talk so prettily ]
[ Igugwoden: Got it! I'll send money! Money's all it takes, right! ]
I tapped in the numbers.
It felt different from usual, for sure.
[ Igugwoden: (Sponsorship / 3,000 KRW / Me) ]
[ Igugwoden: This Plain Fact is temporary ]
Ares-kun.
Time for a god to personally show you how beautiful a 'limited-time Plain Fact' is.