Someone carried a pond to the sky and accidentally spilled all the water ──The rain was so heavy that it wouldn’t be a surprise if someone used such a metaphor.
His foot sunk up to his ankle with every step he took, and he had to shake off the heavy mud to move forward. The tree branches in the mountain path shield him from the rain, but visibility and road conditions were deteriorating. Night made it even harder to make out the terrain.
「Oh god, god...」「Please watch over us──」
The mixed gender trio relied on the light from the point man’s Luminous Sprite as they prayed and moved along the path covered in swampy compost. The thick smell of the vegetation in the tropical forest made it hard to breath and creatures were squirming around in the darkness. All these were extremely creepy to them.
「Hah... Hah... Yiik!」
Patah── the sensation of something dropping on his neck made the man shiver. He groped his neck and touched a cold and slimy thing in the forest. He tossed it away in a hurry, feeling disgusted just from looking at it.
「L-Leeches again...!」
「Calm down...! It will be bad if you fall from getting spooked!」
The woman behind cautioned. This calmed the man down and he forged on again. He pulled up the hood that he removed when they entered the woods and made himself small as he walked. Now wasn’t the time to worry about the heat, his feet would get engulfed by the mud if they stopped.
「... I think it’s around here...」
The woman prayed that they didn’t take the wrong path and mumbled. After that, the man shouted.
「...! Hey, light! I see light!」
He extinguished his partner’s Lantern and pointed ahead. The two behind him squint their eyes to see ahead and could make out a faint light beyond the thick woods. Their faces lightened up as they walked towards the light with hope in their hearts.
「We are here, the cabin in the hill...!」
The large plain building erected from logs stood sturdily in the storm, illuminated by a High Beam. The structure stood on stilts as a measure against flooding. The three of them hurried to the stairs leading up to the entrance and pounded on the door made from heavy wood.
「Hey, we are here! Open up!」
The man pounded repeatedly. Tens of seconds later, a calm voice came from behind the door.
「──Fauli 5:12. What price did the Prophet Fauli pay to cross the Shie Rahad barren lands?」
The sudden question surprised the man. But he was a man of the cloth and came up with the answer after thinking briefly.
「S-Sixty sheep and one string of gold coin… and the sacrifice of his second son Rikutaf.」
Click～ the door unlocked and then opened slowly before them.
「Enter.」
The three moved in without waiting for the invitation. Blurred Lantern lights were spread out around the place, tired people leaned on each other at the lights, they number about 40. It was relatively crowded for the cabin.
They all had one thing in common, a white dot on the chest of their dark attire. A priest robe with the constellation of the god they serve.
「Everyone’s here then.」
The man standing alone deep inside the room said after making a headcount. When they heard that, one of the trios who just entered said:
「Wait, Hadin… Where’s Bishop Hadin? Are you here, it’s me, your roommate in the Seminary dorms, Theorico.」
One of the priests shook his head at the man searching for his friend.
「Bishop Karufa isn’t here. Or rather, he couldn’t come… I heard he got marked by the army before he set off.」
「He ── got arrested?」
The priest nodded bitterly, and that man stood still stiffly. Seeing that, another priest interjected.
「... That’s how the world is. Everyone took great risk to be here, so don’t panic now.」
「That’s right, we should worry about this place being uncovered. I don’t want to see the army barging in and take us all in.」
Half of the priests coldly accepted the fact that one of their own had been captured by the army. They became very pragmatic after experiencing danger themselves.
「As servants of god, I believe no one would be that careless. There isn’t much time, let me get straight to the point.」
After giving this opening statement, the priest at the deepest part of the room pulled off his hold. He was a young man with a stern face.
「I’m Deacon Gutan, from the Ra Saia Alderamin Central Cathedral, Sacred Affairs, Section 6. My rank in the holy hierarchy is lower than everyone here, but I bear a message from the Pope and I hope everyone will listen as if His Holiness is here.」
The room turned tense when he mentioned the Pope. When the room had quieted how, Deacon Gutan spoke:
「The time to do your sacred duties have come.」
His first words made all the priests frown. Deacon continued before the confused crowd.
「It has been far too long since the Katjvarna Empire commited sacrilege on our religion. People are losing heart, their ethics and public order. They have forgotten their gratitude and reverence to the lord who blessed us with the Sprites.」
He was a first-class spokesman who urged the clergy in the Empire.
「Needless to say, the reason lies with the Royal family. The tyrannical Royals make light of religions, ignore the crimes of the nobles, and the military who serve them are just as guilty. I believe everyone has already heard their footsteps closing in as the time of judgement draws near.」
「... So, you want us to revolt?」
A young priest butted in even though it was rude. They couldn’t spare the effort to listen quietly to such a speech.
「Are you kidding me── We didn’t come here to listen to this. We only want to know one thing, when will the two nations resume diplomatic relations!?」
「I feel the same. Since the war in the northern territory, we are separated from the religious headquarters, do you understand how awkward our status in the Empire is? The path towards the main cathedral had been sealed, so we couldn't even perform the annual pilgrimage! The ranks that needed approval from the pope had been postponed for two years! The graduates from the Seminary can’t be assigned to their posts...!」
「...That’s right. Without the official baptism and recognition from the Sprites, they will never be a part of the clergy. It will be fine if their predecessors are still around, but we won’t live forever… If this goes on, the clergy will go extinct in the Empire.」
A middle-aged female priest and an elderly male priest shored up the argument of their young colleague. The old man continued.
「Could this be── I don’t think this is possible but is this the will of the Main Cathedral… the will of the Pope?」
The eyes below his white brows glared with hostility at the other party. Deacon Gutan snorted.
「──Absurd. God demands us to learn the virtue of patience and it might come in the form of an extended trial. But God will never abandon us. That will never happen.」
「That would be wonderful. According to you, the Pope won’t ordered us to incite a rebellion that had no chance of succeeding, right.」
The old priest warned with a strong tone. The place grew tense and a voice came from a corner.
「... Anyway, you fail to clearly understand the situation within the Empire. The citizens here wouldn’t dare, even after experiencing a military coup. The ones with a historical link to the old warring era might be eager, but they are kept in check by the young Empress... Who would even think of resisting the government in such a situation?」
His words were crude, but that was how most of the people present thought. As the people around him concurred with him, the male priest with a stubble beard continued:
「Even the children know that the Main Cathedral and Kioka are working together ── but if this means cutting off the followers of Aldera in the Empire, we have our plans to counter too.」
Numerous eyes with dangerous gleam surrounded the Deacon. A female priest with a Luminous Sprite in her arms stood up and declared.
「Gathering all the devotees in the Empire and separating entirely from the sect in Aldera… If push comes to shove, we might opt for that path.」
It was the consensus of everyone present. Exposed to this overwhelming pressure, Deacon Gutan curled his lips.
「Independence, huh──? A grand declaration, but I want to ask. How do you plan to do so?」
He looked straight back at the people staring at him, his steadfast attitude intimidating the priests around him.
「Everyone, please remember, you have not been bestowed with the sacred rites. There is no way for you to induct believers into the clergy, or the miracles of the Sprites. All the Sacred Duties have been our responsibilities, while you have just been following orders. If you separate from the Main Cathedral, you won’t amount to anything. Isn’t that what’s happening right now?」
Deacon plainly explained the power relationship between the priests and the Main Cathedral.
「Once you lose the prowess of a priest, will the reigning Empress still let you manage the churches? I heard the Empress has implemented harsh draconian policies. Going by historical records, such a person will quickly think of exterminating priests that obstructs her rule, and monopolize the grace of God.」
The priests fell silent. They came here despite the risks because they were worried about that. The reigning Empress had never expressed any good will towards the Church of Aldera. What they fear was the Empress viewing the church the same as the corrupt nobles of the old faction that needed to be purged.
In the room that fell silent once more, Deacon Gutan shrugged with a sigh.
「...I seemed to have surprised you too much. Please remain calm, we have no intention of urging you to revolt. You are mistaken.」
As dubious gazes fell on him again, he said with a relaxed smile.
「If there are no place for you in the Empire, you only need to escape to our side.」
The place turned quiet yet again. No one could understand what his words meant.
「......Huh?」
「I’m saying that you should escape from the Empire. Flee from the barren land abandoned by the grace of God, and come to the glorious land with a bright future.」
The familiar words entered the ears of the priests. The female priest holding a Luminous Sprite opened wide.
「...Fauli 1:2. The Sacred Duty God gave the prophet Fauli...!」
「That’s right, the Grand Escape.」
Deacon Gutan nodded sagely and spread his arms out.
「Ten, or maybe twenty thousand. Lead as many devotees of the Church of Aldera as possible and escape to Kioka── this is the Sacred Duty given to you.」
This was a grand accomplishment described in the bible. The unexpected demand silenced everyone in the room.
「And of course, if you escape to our territory, I will guarantee you will be treated fairly. It had been a long while since the security between the Empire and Kioka had been heightened and the number of people who wanted to seek asylum has risen to the limits. You will lead them to Kioka── by following our plans. How about it? The chance of success is much higher than scheming a rebellion, right?」
The Deacon slowly curled the corners of his lips. A priest barely managed to squeeze out his voice.
「... You want us to betray the Empire and sell out the citizens to Kioka...?」
「No, it’s to save them. Lead the innocent masses away from the Empire that has no future and towards a bright land of hope. Is there a more noble Sacred Duty than that?」
When they realized it, the Deacon’s eyes were burning. One look into his eyes and anyone could tell that he had no intentions of scheming. He was a fanatic who believed in the Sacred Duty given by the Pope.
「As everyone here has realized, Ra Saia Alderamin has deserted the Empire, so you and the believers will have no future in this slowly sinking ship. The ranking clergy in the Empire is that Trisnai Izanma, so you will be toyed by that fox if you stay here ── is that what you wish?」
The faces of the priests started to cramp as they all suppressed the urge to say the same thing. Wasn’t the Pope the one who gave that infamous Chancellor the position of Archbishop ──?
「On the other hand, there aren’t enough Kioka citizens to develop the land on the eastern side of the continent. The devotees you bring will be sent to develop these lands with more than adequate support. Unlike the development plans of the Empire, those lands would be developed in an orderly fashion.
As for everyone here── you will be given a position in Ra Saia Alderamin that befits a person who fulfilled their Sacred Duty. A future that would be impossible for you in the Empire.」
Aside from the heavy responsibility of the Sacred Duty, Deacon Gutan proposed compensation that matched the risk. The clergies weren’t exactly saints, and he used a technique that made them waver from the religious and material viewpoints.
「There’s no point in hesitating. Everyone, show your faith. This is the only way to repay God.」
「「「「Warrrggghhh──!」」」」
Under the scorching sun that showed no signs of letting up, the energetic shouts of the Kioka sailors reverberated out loud.
There were men felling trees with axes, men carrying the felled trees aside, and people tying ropes to the stump and pulling with all their might. These were all forced labour for the prisoners and were by no means easy.
Ever since they were taken prisoner after their defeat near Port Nemong, they were forced to perform the hard labour of clearing the forest in the borders of the Empire’s northern territories. It had been a long while since they last saw the ocean where they used to live.
「Hiee... W-We pulled it out...」「I’m beat... It’s almost time for a rest.」
The soldiers who finally pulled out the tree stump after a long battle panted and complained.
「Still too early for that… On to the next one, boys.」
Marine Commander Greg Ayuzadori ordered his men with a mild tone. Labouring in a place far from home, away from the familiar scent of the sea, all that was grinding away at their body and soul.
At the same time── two soldiers watched their miserable figures from the shade some distance away.
「... Those prisoners looked exhausted.」
「Yes, but that’s the labour expected of prisoners of war.」
The First Lieutenant supervising the work site answered the officer who bore the epaulette of a Lieutenant Colonel. They stood shoulder to shoulder and observed the scene with an awkward atmosphere between them.
「It’s not good to give the prisoners an easy time, but this will affect progress tomorrow, right? … Look, someone is on the verge of passing out.」
「Yes～ but I’m assigning them work as per the orders from the higher ups...」
The First Lieutenant being questioned looked troubled. As the person in charge of managing the prisoners, he was just putting the prisoners to work on clearing the forest as ordered. But the Lieutenant Colonel thought differently, probably because he experienced being taken prisoners along with his subordinates before.
As he watched the prisoners covered in dust stagger around, the Lieutenant Colonel sighed deeply.
「... This is unbearable. Let them rest for today. They came from a place far colder than here, so the heat must be excruciating.」
「... As you wish, Lieutenant Colonel.」
「There’s a need to adjust their daily workload too. It will be a waste to squeeze our labour force dry. And don’t forget we have to guarantee their rights as prisoners.」
The First Lieutenant nodded with a complicated face as his superior officer sided with the prisoners.
「Hey～ It’s over! That’s it for today!」
When they heard the shouts of their comrade, the faces of the exhausted Kioka sailors started beaming.
「Great! Just like Commander Greg said!」
「Our efforts in pretending to be exhausted paid off!」
After checking the surroundings to make sure no one was watching, they sat on the ground and started chatting. It was obvious now that the sailors weren’t as tired as that Lieutenant Colonel thought. They were only putting on an act to get an early break.
「I heard a ranking officer who spent some time as a prisoner of war is here for an inspection. Don’t be too loud, they will see through our act if you are too energetic.」
Greg, who put on this show with his men, warned and then smiled. He was merciless in training his men but doing hard labour for the enemy was a different matter. Since working hard would benefit the enemy, they had to do shoddy work that barely passed muster.
「Be thankful to the Great Mother who gave us this intel. Since we finished up early today, I will go over for a visit. Any message you want me to bring along?」
「I want to see you soon!」「Tell her our morale is still high!」「Ahhh I miss you so much, Great Mother!」
The sailors shouted passionately. After getting the gist of their messages, Greg nodded before leaving with large strides.
「──That’s how it is. Everyone of them kept clamouring for Great Mother, Great Mother, just like two years ago.」
After traveling by carriage for half a day from the work camp, Greg who was under watch the entire journey arrived at the facilities where high ranking officers are imprisoned. The ones imprisoned here didn’t need to perform hard labour but was under tight surveillance.
「Sorry for letting you all wait for so long… I know that someone will fall ill after living as prisoners for so long.」
「Great Mother of White Wings」, Rear Admiral Elulufay Tenerexilla looked worried when she said that── Kioka 4th Naval Fleet was made up of minorities who had lost their home nations. She was the Admiral of this fleet and was known for her outstanding talent as a sailor and lovingly calling all her crew as her children. The feather shawl draped over her Kioka navy uniform and her beloved bird Misai were her unique trademark.
「Don’t worry. Be it on the battlefield or anywhere else, our job is to give it our all.」
「As the mother of you all, I would prefer if you all can focus on energy on things that give you a sense of accomplishment... Oh, my apologies, I don’t mean that our work here is useless. That mister over there, the forest they are clearing will be used to build accommodations for people, right? I at least understand the importance of clearing out the land.」
Elulufay explained to the Imperial soldier keeping watch over the meeting with a smile. Just one smile was enough to make him blush and avert his gaze. She is probably making things difficult for the guards all the time through such methods, Greg thought as the chair that was too small for him creaked.
「Speaking of which, there had not been any communications from our home country. There are probably internal squabbles, delaying the prisoner exchange. I hope they don’t forget about us.」
「There are movements. It will probably be soon.」
Elulufay told him confidently, which made Greg open his eyes wide.
「That man is not concerned about status or wealth, he is only stubborn about talent. He will not easily give up on a person he had laid his eyes on.」
The Great Mother of White Wings sighed, as if she were saying something that was tragic and pitiful.
「But if that was his deep love, it is too difficult to comprehend ──」
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