the Innermost Reaches of the Slaine Theocracy

7/25/2019 the Innermost Reaches of the Slaine Theocracy

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The innermost reaches of the Slaine Theocracy.

Very few people were allowed into this inviolable sanctum.

The first was the highest-ranked member of the Theocracy; the Pontifex aximus.

!ext were the "ardinals# the highest appointment holders of the six sects that weredevoted to the Six $ods. %ncidentally# each of them &aside from the one belonging to thesame sect as the current Pontifex aximus' was a potential candidate to be the nextPontifex aximus.

The "ardinal of (ire -- )erenice !agua Sandeni.

She was the sole female among them. She was over *+ years old# and a little plump#possibly due to her age. ,er well-fed face bore a motherly smile which put all who looked

upon it at ease.

The "ardinal of ater -- $inedine elan $werfe.

,e was a shrivelled old man. ,e was so old that one could not tell his exact age# and hisskin was a dusty brown. /lthough people worried about his health# none could exceed hisintellect.

The "ardinal of ind -- ominic %re Partouche.

,e looked like a kindly old man# but he was originally of the Sunlight Scripture# and had

exterminated many heteromorphic beings during his time as a holy warrior. ,is wrath waslike a wildfire while his murderous intent was like chilling frost.

The "ardinal of 0arth -- 1aymond 2ag 3auransan.

,e was a keen-eyed man and the youngest of his present company. That said# he was stillin his mid-4+s# though his energy made that fact difficult to believe. ,e was a formermember of the )lack Scripture who had served for 5* years -- a hero who had defendedhis nation.

The "ardinal of 3ight -- %von 6asna racrowa.

,is narrow eyes and skinny frame made him look like a sinister person# but that wasdefinitely not the case. 0veryone here knew the reason. /s a user of divine magic# heranked at or near the top of all the people present.

The "ardinal of arkness -- aximilian 7reio 3agier.

,e was surrounded by countless books that hovered in the air# supported by improvedversions of the 8(loating )oard9 spell. ,e wore round glasses# and he had originally been a


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priest from the :udiciary. ,ence# many of the books levitating next to him pertained to thelaw.

%n addition# there were the heads of the 6udicial )ranch# the 3egislative )ranch and the0xecutive )ranch of the Theocracys government. There was the head of the researchinstitute which handled magical research. %n addition# there was the $rand arshal# the

highest appointment-holder in the military.

These 5< people comprised the highest executive authority of the Slaine Theocracy.

/fter entering the room# they took up cleaning tools and began cleaning the room. Some ofthem got rid of dust with feather dusters. Some of them wiped with dry cloths# while otherwiped with wet cloths. Someone used a magic item to vacuum up dust.

There was no wastefulness in their movements# and they cleaned the room with well-practiced movements.

!ot a single one of these people -- who stood at the pinnacle of the Slaine Theocracy --was slacking off. Sweat gushed from their foreheads# their beautiful and pristine robeswere stained by dust# and none of them stopped in their efforts until the room wasspotless.

The room had been =uite clean before they started working on it. !ow# it seemed to glow.

!one of them thought to wipe off their sweat. %nstead# they lined up in front of the sixstatues -- which appeared to be defending this room -- and lowered their heads.

>Today# we give thanks to the gods that human beings like ourselves are still alive.?

/fter the Pontifex aximus said those words# everyone repeated them after him.

>Thus do we offer our thanks.?

They raised their deeply bowed heads and stored their cleaning e=uipment in the corner ofthe room. Then# they cast 8"lean9 spells# cleaning their clothes and their e=uipment# andthe towels they used to wipe away their sweat smelled sweet.

%t was a trivial matter to clean dirt and dust with a first-tier spell. idening that spell wouldallow the entire room to be cleaned with ease. ,owever# there was nobody among themwho was sacrilegious enough to do so in this sacred room.

/fter cleaning themselves# they took their seats at the round table.

This included the Pontifex aximus of the Slaine Theocracy.

/t this table# everyone was e=ual. There were no superiors or inferiors here. 0veryone wasa collaborator and a comrade. %ndeed# all this was for the glory of mankind.


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>Then# let us begin the meeting.?

The organi@er of this meeting was the "ardinal of 0arth# 1aymond 2ag 3auransan.

>7ur first topic is the sei@ure of the Aingdoms (ortress "ity 0-1antel and its surroundingarea as the heart of the Sorcerous Aingdom of /in@ 7oal $own# a fortnight ago.?

There was nothing that could possibly be any more important than the sudden advent ofthis mysterious nation.

,owever# far too few people knew the details of the situation. ost of what they knew waslittle more than hearsay.

(or starters# they knew that the Sorcerer Aing was an undead creature# that he was anextremely powerful magic caster who had obliterated the 1oyal /rmy# that he controlled anarmy of the dead# that there was a eath Anight among those undead# and so on.

1aymond# who commanded the Six Scriptures# reported these details in his capacity asthe meetings organi@er.

6ust then# someone spoke outB

>% knew we shouldnt have let it happen# we should have intervened in that warC?

>...hat are you sayingD 7pen battle against a magic caster who controls a eath Anightis extremely dangerous. idnt we all agree on that earlierD Eou might have ob:ected then#but dont try to overturn our previous decisionF /lthough# % didnt think he would actuallyestablish a nation.?

The group nodded one after the other.

>hat does the 0mpire plan to doD Theyre allies of the Sorcerous Aingdom and theyveendorsed the founding of that nation# so does that mean theyre officially collaboratorsnowD 7r are they being controlled by magicD?

>% doubt it. Paradynes there.?

>Then# % guess we made a mistake in thinking that 0mperor could be trusted.?

>...ell# a more important problem is the fact that hes one of the few talented individualswho isnt being properly utili@ed. Should we begin the plan to draw him to our sideD?

>Then--?

/fter a brief clapping of hands# the debate which was about to heat up promptly cooleddown.


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>--Thousand ile /strologer was observing the battle between the 0mpire and theAingdom. ,owever# theres been a slight problem# so the report was delayed. % beg yourforgiveness.?

The problem in =uestion probably referred to the fact that she had locked herself in herroom and had been in there for =uite some time. /t least# that was what everyone

thought.

>Then# we shall distribute the records of what she saw. These have not been verified byothers; theyre :ust her account of what she saw of the Sorcerer Aings army at thebattlefield.?

How troublesome,everyone thought# though they did not say it. They took the records andstudied them.

They stopped after the last piece of paper. They went over the same part over and overagain. They had the same stiff expressions and their faces slowly grew pale.

1aymond smiled to see the changes in their expressions. ,e had been through the samething that was happening to them now# and he was glad because misery loved company.

/nd then# as though to represent everyone else# aximilian shouted. ,is mouth openedso wide that his glasses fell off# but he did not seem to care about that.

>%mpossibleC ,ow could anything like this possibly existDC?

>% told you earlier# didnt %D This is :ust a description of what she claimed to have seen.?

aximilian shut up in the face of 1aymonds cold response.

,e was panting like he had :ust been sprinting. /s aximilian struggled to get hisbreathing back under control# )erenice decided to ask another =uestion# to see if someoneshared her opinions.

>"an you say that againD %s this actually realD?

>%f everyone here still believes the word of >Thousand ile /strologer?# then it is.?

ith pained looks on their faces# they all looked back to the papers they were holding.

They had all stopped at the same place -- the composition of the Sorcerer Aings army.

>,undreds of eath Anights &at least


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>.../s would we. %f these things swarmed us# wed need centuries to recover from thedamage.?

eath Anights. ifficulty estimated at 5++ or higher. They were able to create S=uire2ombies which could themselves make other 2ombies. The 2ombies themselves did nothave much combat power# but they might lead to the spawning of stronger undead.

Soul 0aters. ifficulty estimated at 5++ to 5*+. They were undead with point-blank area-of-effect abilities. They could consume the souls of the deceased for sustenance and grewstronger the more souls they ate. They radiated an aura of fear. ithout at least a Grd-tiermagic caster# even facing them was impossible.

/ll of them were undead on a level that could destroy a city or a small countrysinglehandedly.

>as she mistakenD aybe the Sorcerer Aing noticed our surveillance and used illusions

to confuse us.?

%von put that possibility forward as he stretched out his withered# branch-like arms.

>7h?# the surrounding people murmured# but 1aymond shattered that possibility.

>The )lack Scripture knows of many monsters. hile it is true she might not have the fullpicture of things# she -- Thousand ile /strologer -- was in charge of providing intelligencesupport to her team. There is no way she could have been mistaken. %n addition# we haveverified sightings of eath Anights and Soul 0aters in the capital of the SorcerousAingdom -- the former city of 0-1antel.?

That was answered by several defeated sighs.

/ll they could do was acknowledge the point in voices full of fatigue# and then theycontinued discussing the matter.

>hat should we doD hat is the best course of action for ourselves# as the protectors ofmankindD hat can we do about *++ monsters# each of which can destroy a nation bythemselvesD?

>So their forces are e=uivalent to *++ small countriesF thats insane# rightD ,ow badlycould that country upset the balance between nationsD?

>The =uestion is# what does the Sorcerer Aing intend to do with that kind of military powerD%f he :ust intends to have them defend his territory# it wont be a problem in the short term.?

>,ow could that beD %ts far too much :ust for defense. /lso# isnt the Sorcerer Aing one ofthe undead# who hate the livingD %m sure hell use his power to assault the neighboringcountries.?


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>%t doesnt matter how the Sorcerer Aing intends to use his military strength. hat mattersis what we can do about it.?

%t was a valid opinion# and the direction of the meeting began to turn.

>ThenF can the )lack Scripture deal with itD Thats the most important thing.?

They were the Slaine Theocracys final ace in the hole# a special forces unit composed ofheroes. 7ne could think of them as adamantite-ranked adventurers# but there was acritical difference between the two# that of their e=uipment.

The gods had left divine e=uipment behind in this world# but adventurers would need to goon epic =uests# the likes of which were the stuff of heroic sagas# all :ust to obtain a singlepiece of their panoply.

%n contrast# each member of the )lack Scripture possessed multiple articles of such gear.

%f even they could not handle a threat like this# then they could still conduct a grand ritual tosummon the highest-ranked angel to deal with the problem.

Surely the most exalted of angels would be able to triumph over eath Anights and Soul0aters. ,owever# the sheer number of foes made them very uneasy.

/ll eyes went to 1aymond.

,e chuckled. Some people smiled in response to his laughter# but those smiles fro@e ontheir faces as they heard what he said nextB

>%ts impossible. % say this as a former Grd Seat of the )lack Scripture; anyone who expectsus to face *++ of them must be an absolute madman. %t would have been bad enougheven if they were only present in e=ual numbers. !o# if not for this# why would Thousandile /strologer have locked herself up in despairD ,oweverF?

The nature of his smile changed.

>%ts different for the $od-kin.?

>7hh#? went the sounds of re:oicing.

>The two of them should be able to deal with an army of eath Anights and Soul 0aters.7f course# :ust in case# we still need to give them the best backup we can.?

>So itll be fine with those two.?

>ell# thats a relief.?


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/midst this :ubilation# only $inedine went >hmph?. Sensing the weighty air of fatiguearound him# everyone =uietened down.

>...Eoure not telling us everything# are youD?

>$inedine# what are you getting atD?

>The law does not prohibit false testimony and obscuring the truth in this place# but we arecolleagues serving under the same flag and lying is a grave offense. %f you agree with this#let me ask you one more timeB hat are you hidingD?

>$inedine. hats wrong with youD hy are you saying thisD?

>ominic# % have a =uestion. hy did Thousand ile /strologer lock herself awayD?

Anowing that nobody could answer that =uestion# he continued to speak.

>She did so out of despair. 7r perhaps she must have suffered some sort of shock. %ts truethat an army of the dead is frightening. ,owever# shes a member of the )lack Scripture.o you really think she would go into hiding :ust because of thatD ... %ts because she sawsomething that even the $od-kin could not beat. This report isnt complete# is itD?

0veryone looked at 1aymond and $inedine.

>..hat are you trying to achieve by hiding that pointD % trust you. % know youre not the sortof man who would use the Scriptures for his own gain. )ut why are you not revealing thisD?

>ell done. /s expected of you# $inedine. % simply wanted to explore the possibilitiesFthen# %ll say it. /goni@ing over this problem alone would simply give me an ulcer# so %d beglad to share it with all you gentlemen here.?

1aymond looked at his seated audience.

>,ow much do you know of the battle between the Aingdom and the 0mpire -- no# betweenthe Aingdom and the Sorcerous AingdomD?

The person who answered on their behalf was the Pontifex aximus.

>% heard that the Sorcerer Aing used a powerful spell. /s a result# the 1oyal /rmy routedand was defeated. )ecause of that# they abided by the re=uests made before the battleand ceded 0-1antel to the Sorcerous Aingdom for the founding of a nation. Thats all.?

>/nd the number of deathsD?

The Pontifex aximus simply shook his head at 1aymond.


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>% dont know. That news has not reached me yet. %t should be the same for the rest of you#rightD?

>Ees. Priests and traders dont go to 0-1antel now that it has become the heart of theSorcerous Aingdom# with an undead king. So all we hear are rumors of unknownprovenance.?

>So we need the Scriptures -- this sort of thing is better suited to the "learwater Scripturethan the indflower Scripture# rightD?

>Ees# which is why only the commander of the Six Scriptures -- namely# you -- knows thetruth. /ll we learned is what little leaked out.?

>...% see. Then# release the full# unabridged version of what Thousand ile /strologer sawduring that battle to us.?

/fter reading the rest of the report# the room filled with the silence of despair.

(eeling that this could not be allowed to go on# %von raised a =uestionB

>% see# % see. ...Eou were afraid our hearts would stop if we saw this first# rightD?

>!ot really. Eour hearts are strong enough to sprout hair. % was simply afraid that if %opened with this# none of you would believe it.?

%von nodded# unable to refute that.

>%ts true that we would have doubted this if we had seen this first. e would not havebelieved it at all. )ut after understanding the reality of the Sorcerer Aings army# we haveno choice but to believe.?

>StillF % dont want to believe this. ith :ust one spell# he killed over half of the 1oyal /rmy.uring this battle# the Aingdom mobili@ed 7nly she saw it# rightD %ts not uncommon for death tolls and casualty counts to beexaggeratedF?

>0ven so# the description of wiping out an entire wing of the 1oyal /rmy with one spellmeans over I++++ deaths. /nd then theres the hideous monsters summoned from thosesacrificesF?

>% cant deny what shes seen any more. This is magic of the gods. 55th tier magic# %believeD That should be it.?

>The advent of the gods.?


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>hats written here is similar to the description of that godF is it possible ,e hasdescended from the heavens once moreD?

>%mpossible. The oral traditions state that the $od of eath# Surshana-sama# was slain bythe damnable 0ight $reed Aings.This must be something else. /nd if Surshana-sama hadactually descended once more# that person would surely have told us. /fter all# that person

is Surshana-samas first follower.?

>Then# its come at lastD

>Probably# yes. /fter %t should be correct# :udging by the oral traditions. %t might appear somewhere on thecontinent.?

>Their national power increased so slowly because those piles of trash messed up somuch of the plan.?

>Those idiots in the AingdomF?

0veryone had looks of hatred in their eyes as they heard those words.

The Aingdom was the most geographically secure country of all. )ecause of that# theSlaine Theocracy had assisted them in the hopes that the Aingdom would become thenation which would save mankind. )y breeding large =uantities of humans on safe andfertile land# many talented individuals would also appear# who could be groomed intoheroes that could resist non-human invasions. ,owever# peace and prosperity causedthem to fall into degeneracy# and the Aingdom rotted from within.

hat was more troubling was how they produced narcotics and exported them to the otherpromising country# the 0mpire.

Thus# the Theocracy had changed their plan.

Their backup plan was to allow the 0mpire to devour the Aingdom# and then educate thetalented individuals within the 0mpire.

The reason why the Theocracy did not con=uer the Aingdom themselves was becausethey would then become neighbors with the 1epublic# which might lead to a dangerous

movement within the people to destroy the 1epublic.

The basic tenet of the Theocracy was that humanity was chosen by the gods# and all otherraces had to be exterminated.

Thus# they inculcated an attitude in the people that they were surrounded by enemies andthat they had no choice but to work together. This was the only way they could focus theirnational power and become a strong country. ,owever# if they became neighbors with the


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1epublic# there was a chance that their philosophy might lead them in a dangerousdirection.

0veryone here understood that they could only plan the future of the Slaine Theocracy byknowing the strength of their country# those of the other countries# and which matters toprioriti@e. ,owever# the common folk would shout for war with the 1epublic in order to

destroy the enemies of mankind.

That would be disastrous.

The 1epublic was very strong.

To be precise# the danger lay with one of the councillors of the 1epublic# the Platinumragon 3ord# child of the ragon 0mperor. %f they did battle with him# the mightiest of theragon 3ords# they ran the risk of their country being reduced to scorched earth. )ut whatof the people who did not know thatD hat would they thinkD They would see enemies todestroy# yet all they could do was bite their nails and wait.

7f course# everyone here could easily =uash such resentment through force# but thatwould produce backlashes that would weaken their national power. %n addition# they couldnot deny that a war might break out in the future.

Thus# the Theocracy could not share a border with the 1epublic# nor could they directlycontrol the Aingdom. 0ven if they wanted to rule it from the shadows# the Aingdom was toolarge.

>3ets consider the Sorcerer Aing first. To begin with# he should have been the one whodestroyed the Sunlight Scripture# some time back.?

The air seemed to crackle and free@e.

>/ magic caster with that name appeared in a nearby village with that name at almost thesame time. % dont think were mistaken# are weD?

>hat about the Vampire that the )lack Scripture encounteredD / minion of the SorcererAingD?

>%ts very possible# but % think its more likely that it was a being on the same level as theSorcerer Aing# :ust like those people. 7therwise theres no way to explain that power.?

>%ndeed# so since were on the topic of multiple appearances# 6aldabaoth ought to be sucha being# rightD That would explain the power he wielded in the Aingdom# as well as thereason for a monster with that sort of power appearing all of a sudden.?

>Then how about omonD ,e seems to have been chasing that Vampire# but if thatprediction is correct# he should be a similar entity to the Sorcerer Aing. That would alsoexplain why he was as strong as 6aldabaoth. The =uestion is whether or not hes an ally ofthe Sorcerer AingF?


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>omon slew the Vampire and stood against 6aldabaoth. $iven that they might be thesame manner of creature yet opposing each other# its possible that they might still havebeen enemies thenD /fter that# he negotiated a truce with the Sorcerer Aing and becamehis ally.?

>Then theres only the =uestion of why he killed the Vampire and opposed the SorcererAing. Perhaps he killed it because it was controlled by the Supreme Treasure. Still# whywould he oppose 6aldabaothD ...%f omon was a comrade of the Sorcerer Aing# in whatsort of scenario would he be 6aldabaoths enemyD?

>...Perhaps the Vampire and 6aldabaoth were working together# while the Sorcerer Aingand omon were allied. 7r there might be one where the Vampire# 6aldabaoth# theSorcerer Aing and omon were all enemies. There are also other possibilities. )ut therestoo little information to tell.?

>The worst-case scenario is all four of them being on the same side# but the likelihood of

that is very low. omon is too humble. !ormally# someone with that much strength wouldflash it around much more. Ees# :ust like the 0ight $reed Aings. 7r perhaps# like our$ods.?

>% see. So the reason why he did not do that was because he was on the lookout forothers. !o# perhaps he was being watchful for others on the same level as him.?

>Then# since the Sorcerer Aing has taken the stage and begun building his nation#someone will be taking action to make up for the difference in fighting power. %f omonswords are to be trusted# ,onyopenyoko has a companion. e have to watch out for it# aswell as 6aldabaoth.?

>This is all :ust con:ecture at the moment. e :ust need to think about making contact withthe Sorcerer Aing or omon.?

>%ts too risky. %ts far too risky. e should instead go to the 0mpire and gain informationfrom the people there# and then make contact with the 0mperor.?

>That would be good# as long as the 0mperor doesnt wag his tail for the Sorcerer-Aing#that is.?

>%ts a gamble# but it cant be helped. %f we do nothing but cower in a corner# well end uphaving to play catch-up with others.?

>Still# when you say a gambleF how much of a gambleD %f we mess it up# itll become acasus bellito attack us# noD e should try to understand the 0mperors stance on thematter before making contact.?

/s everyone agreed on that proposal# someone else asked a reasonable =uestion.


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>...Still# have there been no revolts in 0-1antel# that city ruled by the undeadD ,ave they allbeen killedD 7r is there a perfect reign of terror in placeD?

/fter hearing that =uestion# hardly anyone could believe 1aymonds answer.

>/ccording to our reports# it seems to be ruled in peace.?

Hah?! That sound did not fit these people at all# but it could not be helped that they madeit.

>,mhm. /t my age# % do end up hearing things that arent there# but it seems my conditionhas suddenly worsened. 1aymond# what was that about peaceD?

>%t looks like the suns going to come up from the north tomorrow. ?

>.../ll right# enough with :okes. %f 1aymond is telling the truth# that would be a truly

unimaginable sight. %s our informant a madman or a satiristD?

>The report states that the eath Anights are used as city guards# 0lder 3iches as publicservants while Soul 0aters are used to pull cargo wagons.?

0veryones :aws dropped besides 1aymonds.

>!onono# wait a minute. hatD "ould you say that againD?

%n the face of aximilian and his missing glasses# 1aymonds did not change his words ashe repeated himself.

Haaah?!7nce more# that same unfitting sound escaped them.

0ach of them was an undead creature of :aw-dropping power. )ut now# that knight of theunderworld maintained public order like a good little soldier# that lord of the labyrinth sat ata desk managing the flow of goods# and a monster that could slaughter an entire city didthe :ob of a horse and its groom.

/nd such a country existed right on the other side of their borders.

>hat the hell. hat pit of hell did that come fromD?

Jndead were strolling about on the streets and managing the city. /ll they could imaginewas that all the humans there were dead.

>!o. The former residents of 0-1antel -- the current citi@ens of the Sorcerous Aingdom areliving ordinary lives there. There was some confusion at first# but it is peaceful now.

>...%t seems we have all been underestimating the Aingdom all this while.?


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>JmuF how strong are their spiritsD?

6ust imagining the act of walking beside an undead creature which hated the living madeeveryone present shiver in fear.

That would be like living next to a starving monster. %t would be normal for a regular personto be afraid.

>Theyre probably putting up with it because they trust that great warrior# the heroicadventurer omon the )lack.?

1aymond related an account of what happened on the first day of the Sorcerer Aings ruleover 0-1antel.

They all listened intently.

>/s % thought. %ts impossible for omon to have been the Sorcerer Aings companion.?

>/ra# isnt that further proof of omon and the Sorcerer Aing being in cahootsD They didshow up at practically the same time# rightD?

Mmm 0veryone held their heads in contemplation.

They felt that the chance of that was not insignificant# but there was honestly no way totell.

>%s there a way to set omon against the Sorcerer AingD Perhaps if we used the people of

0-1antel# we could--?

>Thats dangerous# far too dangerous. %f it goes poorly# well make an enemy of omonand the Sorcerer Aing at the same time.?

>Eoure right. /s it is# weve taken considerable losses. Though the dead have beenrevived# the )lack Scripture will still be short on manpower# while the Sunlight Scripture iseffectively dissolved. The "rowns been stolen# the iko Princess and Aaire are dead. %tlltake us at least 5+ years to recover our strength. e cant go around roasting meat next toa sleeping ragon in this state.?

>Ees. e need to avoid opening up two fronts at the same time.?

/t this moment# the hostility in the room seemed to swell.

>Those filthy traitors.?

>Those bastard elves.?


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The Theocracy was currently at war with the 0lves of the $reat Southern (orest.7riginally# the Theocracy and the elves had a cooperative relationship. )ut thatrelationship had been broken# and the Theocracy was now fighting the 0lves with their ownpower.

They had built a forward base at "rescent 3ake# seat of the 0lven "apital. /ccording to the

plan# the "apital should have been destroyed in a few years# but that plan was slowlygoing off-script.

>,ow about a ceasefire with them for nowD?

>ont be foolish. ,ow much blood do you think has been spilled in the fighting up till nowD(irstly# how can we not take revenge for that personD?

>That child--?

/fter saying this# the old man smiled bitterly.

,e treated her as a child because of her appearance# but the fact was that she was olderthan anyone in this room.

>--,ow is sheD?

>%n the same room nearby# as always.?

>Jmu# we need to give her a chance to avenge her mother.?

>Ees# otherwise it would be far too unfortunate. ,er heart should probably be at ease after

taking her revenge.?

Pained looks appeared on the faces of everyone present.

>..(rankly speaking# % take offense with the priests of the time. They raised a poor little girlwith that sort of personality.?

>ell# if you want to say that# you might as well blame the barbarians of the forest. The"ardinals didnt think it was good to snatch her away from her mothers side.?

>...hat a troublesome topic.?

>Still# if we deploy that girl# that ragon 3ord might respond in kind.?

>The power of the gods# ownfall of "astle and "ountry# will probably not work on thatfellow who can use wild magic# unlike with the "atastrophe ragon 3ord. ,ow about usingit on the Sorcerer AingD?


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Silence descended over the meeting room. %t was a proposal that they were thinking# butcould not speak.

>...%ts not a bad idea# but the fact that we dont know what sort of power the SorcererAings subordinates possess makes me uneasy.?

>...%f only it could charm without limit# there would be no problems.?

>,ow dare youC The gods gave their lives to protect us# humanityC /nd to think you wouldbe dissatisfied with the secret treasures they left behindD The audacityC?

/fter the rebuke# the old man bowed his head deeply.

>% misspoke.?

>atch your tongueC?

>Then# back to the topic. e are all against using ownfall of "astle and "ountry on theSorcerer AingD?

>%ts too dangerous.?

>%f the "atastrophe ragon 3ord appears# we could control it and use it as a vanguardF?

There was no point in hoping for what was not there.

>%t cant be helped. Should we send a messenger to talk with that ragon 3ord about the0lvesD?

>ho knows what theyll ask forD?

>3ets :ust accept if the re=uest isnt too unreasonable. /fter all# its for the peace of thatgirls soul.?

There were no ob:ections. 0veryone here was deep in introspection.

>(ufu--?

/ =uiet chuckle rang out# and everyones eyes went to the person who made the sound.

>(ufu. !ow that the people who knew the situation back then are all deadF well# you lotare =uite a compassionate bunch.?

Those words might have felt insulting# but the tone was otherwise.


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>...7ur aim is to defend all of humanity from the other races# and all of humanity includesthat girl. % think we can be forgiven for a little abuse of our offices if its to save a comrade.?

>..% have no reason to ob:ect if this does not result in any deaths.?

/s he heard this # the $rand arshal smiled bitterly.

>%t would be better to directly distribute this knowledge rather than going by oraltransmission# noD %ts all right if were going up against someone distinctive# but itll bedangerous if the other guy has gone to ground. Spreading that knowledge will also make iteasier to gather information.?

This was a suggestion which had been made fairly often over the centuries. !aturally# ithad been re:ected each time.

>7ur world is as fragile as a little boat which has been tossed into the ocean. The fewerpeople who know about it# the better. /fter all# there might be a typhoon every 5++ years or

so. o you think people could sleep easily if they knew thatD The fact is# the powerfulcannot hide in the shadows for long. They will be very obvious# even if they try to live anormal life.?

>%f thats the case# what do you think that former "ardinal-dono will doD?

They all had complicated expressions on their faces.

>%m not =uite sure# but theres a very high chance of movementF Perhaps theres somekind of trump card in store.?

>7r maybe the former Kth Seat# indstride# might know something...?

>,ow worrying. %s she close to usD !othing is more troublesome than thatF?

There were several sighs in the room.

>hat about asking the retired members of the )lack Scripture for helpD That way we canrestore our fighting strength# no# maintain our vigilance. e can send them to the raconicAingdom as reinforcements. The chances of them dying are very low.?

The )lack Scripture was commonly assigned to very dangerous tasks# and so they had avery high attrition rate. ,owever# as long as the corpses remained# they could be brought

back to life. The problem was that resurrections drained a persons lifeforce# and onewould need to train for a long time to recover the strength they had before death. Thus#some people chose to retire instead.

There were also others who had retired due to their age# but no matter the reason# anyretirees had priority on whatever post they wanted. hile there were those who werecontent to live a degenerate# :obless lifestyle# there were very few of those. ost of them


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would not be able to bear the repeated looks from their wives and =uestions like >aaaad#why havent you found a :ob yet--D? and thus they returned to work.

%t would take a while to refamiliari@e these people with the feel of actual combat# and therewere those older ones who could not perform as they had in their prime due to age. Still#they were more reliable than most others.

>6ust explain the situation to them and make our re=uest. ont expect everyone to take uparms# though.?

>7f course. %t would take a real bastard to put pressure on people who completed missionsin the most dangerous places and then retired.?

>Ees. 6ust ask them. )ut if anyone agrees# pay them more than they expected.?

>%f only they paid us at all.?

Self-deprecating chuckles echoed through the room.

"omplaining about a lack of wages was a private :oke for them.

%n the Theocracy# salaries fell off after one rose past a certain rank. This was a form of self-purification# in order to ensure that people would not be motivated to rise through the ranksby greed. Thus# many of those who took high office did so because they were moved toserve their nation.

/fter the laughter stopped# the Pontifex aximus spoke againB

>Then# everyone# lets begin the next topic. 1aymond# go ahead.?

the Innermost Reaches of the Slaine Theocracy

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Transcript of the Innermost Reaches of the Slaine Theocracy