A Familiar Sight
A Familiar Sight
The news that the Saint had disappeared spread through the capital in an instant.
Everyone was shocked, and reactions varied widely.
"We have to find him! We must find him!"
There were those who wanted to search.
"But why? Why did he leave?"
There were those who questioned.
"Haven't you heard anything?"
And there were those who went to question the people who could be called his closest associates.
Erpa.
The two imperial princesses.
And High Priest Yodel and Jonathan Karma—people began to come and ask them.
But all of their answers were always consistent.
"The Saint has gone to fulfill the mission entrusted to him."
"All of you, return to your own lives as well."
"Do not forget the Saint's will, and live always in charity."
"For that is all we can do."
"Do not seek him. It would only obstruct one who carries out a mission."
Even after hearing such answers, they could not stop everyone who wanted to find the Saint.
"We must find him!!"
"He must lead us!!"
Several holy knights and priests of the Pantheon banded together, and an expeditionary force was formed to search for the Saint. The people of the slums pooled their money and began to inquire about his whereabouts.
High Priest Yodel and Jonathan Karma personally stepped forward and told them not to search for the Saint, but the people did not listen.
Thus, while some people rushed about frantically searching for the Saint on a grand scale, others, seeing his disappearance, resolved their hearts in a completely different way.
"He will return someday."
"So long as the Goddess does not abandon us, she will never separate him from our side."
"Let us work to realize his will until the day he returns!!"
People began to emerge who would strive harder and live more earnestly, each giving their best where they were.
Since most of the slum dwellers now held the Lilia faith, they prayed to the Goddess every day to watch over the Saint and to send him back someday as they lived their days to the fullest.
And there were people who, with such a mindset, sought to undertake even greater endeavors.
"You mean to say... you wish to donate the Three Primary Colors Research to Karma Company, free of charge?"
"Yes."
Jonathan Karma looked at Erpa, who stood before him, and shook his head.
"I cannot use research of such high value without paying you royalties."
"Please accept it. I know that Karma Company is a company that acts according to the Saint's will. I came to you hoping I could be of even a little help to that company."
"But..."
"Countless laborers still suffer from low wages and excessive working hours. I hope that Karma Company can become a place that looks after such people."
At Erpa's words, Jonathan Karma hesitated for a moment before accepting the Three Primary Colors Research she handed over.
"Research concerning magical efficiency and power amplification... The possibilities for application are limitless, from improving the fuel efficiency of Mana Engines and beyond. Thank you, Erpa. With this research, I will most certainly realize the Saint's will."
Jonathan Karma clenched his fist.
Elixir that was infinitely generated and gushed forth.
And the Three Primary Colors Research that would enable that elixir to be handled more efficiently.
With the combination of these two, he intended to build a massive corporate legion.
And he had already decided on the name of that corporate conglomerate.
'Eleos Group.'
The one who shows mercy.
A corporate conglomerate created to spread his will.
Everything he needed was already in his hands.
Now all that remained was to turn the dream into reality with these weapons.
"Would you be able to visit the temple from time to time? There seems to be a great deal to discuss regarding the practical application of the Three Primary Colors Research."
"Of course. For the sake of the Saint. Gladly."
"For the Saint."
Jonathan and Erpa thus became partners.
It was the moment that Karma Company's latent power grew even more formidable.
"Almene. Your body has barely recovered..."
Almene and Iomene were also carrying out their own tasks in their own ways.
"I have to study, Iomene. You have the White Order, but I have nothing. I must develop my political acumen as quickly as possible. I rested from my studies for far too long, Mother. I have no time for leisure. I too must grow in preparation for the day the Saint returns."
Almene began to study law, as well as the history and geography of the neighboring countries, and science and magic.
Seeing her summon numerous imperial scholars with fearsome concentration and begin to study with such zeal that she risked nosebleeds, the Emperor and Empress felt both worry and pride.
"Very well. If that is your wish, I shall assist you. From tomorrow, attend the state council meetings with me. How about learning by my side how the country operates and how it functions?"
The Emperor did not look upon Almene's determination unfavorably in the least.
Almene nodded, and from that very day on,
she began to learn not only through her studies but also the art of politics at her father's side.
She started with simple document processing, but seeing her handle even those simple documents with meticulous care, the Emperor and Empress were finally able to set aside some of their worries.
On the other hand, unlike Almene, Iomene did not study at her father's side nor learn politics.
She did not study. She did not learn politics. She did not learn how to run a country.
Instead, she spent almost all of her time at the White Order.
"Teach me martial arts and how to wield holy power."
She was trying to grow there in a different way.
"I will teach you offensive miracles and all manner of martial arts, as well as how to hunt down and destroy Evil Gods and demons. But you must bear this in mind. It will be arduous and painful."
"It doesn't matter."
Iomene's will was firm.
"The Saint went to fight evil. He said he would do it alone, but someday he may need my strength. So in preparation for that time, I must also cultivate my power."
The High Priest of the White Order.
Miromel smiled at those words.
"It shall be as the Saintess wishes. I will teach you all of the ultimate combat techniques, forged from all the knowledge and experience of our Order. By the time all is finished, you, Saintess, will have become stronger than anyone else in the Order."
A saintess who had harbored a curse for so long that she possessed immense resistance to most curses and black magic, and who could even see through a disguised identity.
A talent of tremendous strategic value.
Of course, she had to be nurtured.
"Follow me."
Miromel led Iomene to the deepest and darkest place within the White Order.
Arriving at a colossal underground training ground, Iomene soon found herself facing the massive beings training there.
They were well over two meters tall.
Their armor was so heavy and thick that one might doubt whether it was even possible to wear and move in it.
They carried gigantic swords, axes, hammers, and shields, along with enormous firearms.
The beings who had been freely wielding cold steel and artillery in their combat training halted at the sight of Iomene, then approached her and bowed their heads respectfully.
"We behold the Saintess."
High Priest Miromel burst into laughter as he gazed at them forming orderly ranks before Iomene.
"They are the mightiest hunters possessed by the White Order. All of them are holy knights and battle priests at the same time—superhuman soldiers selected from gifted young believers and raised for over ten years by bestowing upon them the miracle of body reinforcement. They will be the teachers who instruct you from now on, Saintess, and at the same time, they are your personal guard."
Iomene looked at them in silence for a moment, then smiled as if satisfied.
"These people. What is their name?"
Miromel gave a proud smile.
"Legiones Ketratus. Dulanear's most excellent weapons."
***
Scrap Yard.
A colossal factory city where the entire city existed to mine the underground tunnels.
As its name suggested, the entire city was a place filled with steam engines and metal.
A place inhabited by extreme beings who rejected all magic, miracles, and faith, and believed solely in human technology and machines.
The continent's greatest producer of magic metals and the gathering place of its finest engineers.
A steampunk city.
Perhaps because of that, the city smelled strongly of metal.
I had more than enough money for food and living expenses for the time being.
I intended to avoid contact with people as much as possible.
Just as if I were there and yet not there.
I would live like a ghost and then leave.
I had no intention of living in luxury either.
Just a small house where I could live like a human being.
The minimum amount of food to survive.
And I intended to spend my gold only on finding out whether there were any black mages or demon worshipers around.
But...
"A house? There are only two kinds of houses in this city. Either luxury mansions where the factory owners live, or lodgings for commoners who live day to day. Which of the two are you looking for?"
"Both are a bit too much. Is there no modest house somewhere in the middle?"
"There used to be. The factory owners' association tore down most of those houses last month and built new lodgings in their place. Saying, 'Why wouldn't you, when you can cram ten families into a space where one family used to live?'"
Listening to the odd-looking elderly dwarf woman gave me a headache.
What kind of situation was this now?
"If I were to buy a mansion, how much would it cost roughly?"
"It would easily exceed one hundred thousand Saled. The upper class here isn't ordinarily wealthy. They've monopolized every bit of magic metal and technology that comes out of the mines and are living off it, you see?"
One hundred thousand Saled.
Damn it.
Even if I sold all ten kilograms of gold I had brought with me, I couldn't raise that much money.
"Then the lodgings..."
"There are cheap lodgings that cost fifty Leon a month, all the way up to high-grade lodgings that cost about three Saled a month. The high-grade ones are usually used by engineers who've built up some experience."
There was no helping it.
"I'll take a high-grade lodging."
I had already exchanged some gold for money at a nearby currency exchange. I paid the fee with that money, and the elderly dwarf woman rose from her seat.
"Follow me. The engineer lodgings are in a structure that's packed tightly together with the cheap fifty-Leon lodgings. There's no soundproofing, and all the smells seep right through, so take care of yourself."
The old woman guided me directly to the lodging where I would be staying.
"Unlike the other cheap lodgings, this one has a bathroom and a kitchen you can cook in. The lodging manager will come to collect the monthly rent on the first of every month. As long as you pay that on time, you won't get kicked out. Here's the key."
The old woman casually handed me the key and then vanished somewhere.
The sound of a child crying. The sound of a couple fighting somewhere. Even the smell of something cooking—this was a structure where everything was shared.
It was a poor environment that reminded me of a cramped one-room boarding house.
'Well, nothing I can do about it.'
I let out a sigh, unlocked the door, and went inside.
A dirty bed.
Conversations were audible from all directions because there was absolutely no soundproofing.
There was a kitchen and a bathroom, but I wasn't joking—they were the smallest kitchen and bathroom in the world.
A cramped, dilapidated space that was oppressively packed into an area of about four pyeong.
It wasn't what I had wanted, but this was the place I would be living from now on.
The moment I roughly unpacked my things and was about to step out of my house to buy something to eat.
"Aaaaagh!! Gah!!"
"You damn Labor Theorist! Stand straight!!"
A terrible scream rang out from one corner of the lodgings.
My gaze naturally turned, and there I could see police officers brutally beating a man with clubs and pistols.
"You dogs of the factory owners!! Beat me all you want!! The workers' paradise will surely come someday!!"
Beside the young man, whose eyes held a terrifyingly murderous aura even as he was being beaten, a blood-soaked book lay fallen.
On the cover of the red-bound book was written the title “On Capital.”
"Capitalism, having flourished by burning human souls and lives, will eventually collapse!! The workers' heaven will one day surely arrive!!... Urk!!"
"Take him away!! This wretched bastard. Lock him in the detention camp and don't let him out until he's been rehabilitated!!"
The police dragged the young man away.
As laborers began to emerge in ones and twos from the lodgings at the commotion, the police brandished the book the young man had been carrying, as if to make an example of it.
"There is no mercy for those who read forbidden books!! If anyone discovers another person reading this red book, report them immediately!!"
After finishing their brutal warning,
the police dragged away the beaten, limp man and vanished somewhere.
Ah...
This was a scene I had seen many times before.