Side Story: The Glowing Goddess Statue (1) (Alexis's Perspective)

As usual, I was working in my office with Richard and the civil officials when a knight entered bearing an urgent report. Had something happened in the Demon Forest...?

"Your Majesty, a staff member from Central Church has come with an urgent report. May I have them brought in?"

So it wasn't the Demon Forest. But an urgent message from a Central Church staff member... Nothing like this had ever happened before. What could have occurred?

It seemed best to hear the report immediately.

"Have them brought in."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

I had no idea what had happened, but I had a bad feeling this was going to be troublesome. I already had my hands full with the Demon Forest and the state of affairs within the country. I didn't want to deal with any more trouble, but it was my position that required me to hear it.

Whew... I needed to gather my resolve again.

"Richard, what do you think this is about?"

"I cannot say, but... If something from Central Church requires Your Majesty's urgent attention, the only thing that comes to mind is something related to Goddess-sama."

"But what urgent news could there be concerning Goddess-sama...? Don't tell me! Has an oracle been delivered?!"

I stood up without thinking. According to the records, during the time Apostle-sama was present, Goddess-sama delivered oracles several times.

Now Leon-sama was here. It really was possible that an oracle had been delivered...

"Please don't panic. Sit down and wait. The staff member from Central Church will arrive shortly. We can discuss our response after hearing the report. In any case, there is no work that must be attended to immediately, so let us finish our usual work for today."

"You're right. Thank you, Richard. Then we'll postpone the work we're doing until tomorrow or later. Begin tidying up."

At my command, the civil officials began putting away their work. I sat down again and waited for the staff member from Central Church to arrive.

After we had waited for a while, and the civil officials had mostly finished tidying up, the staff member from Central Church arrived.

"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful that you have granted me this sudden audience."

"Yes. What has happened?"

"At around nine this morning, the goddess statue in the prayer room of Central Church emitted a sacred light. There were three witnesses, all commoners. Once the light faded, the commoners who had seen it shouted about what had happened in Central Church's reception hall, and everyone there rushed to the prayer room. Apparently, once many people had gathered in the prayer room, the goddess statue began emitting light again. At present, many commoners who have heard the rumors are pouring in. The knights stationed there are handling the situation to ensure that no one touches the goddess statue, even with a single finger."

So it wasn't an oracle... But what could it mean for the goddess statue to glow?

The prayer room and goddess statue at Central Church were divine relics. Neither could deteriorate, break, or become dirty. It was impossible for someone to have made the statue glow as a prank. Could this be some kind of message from Goddess Mishurine-sama...?

I did not know the details, but... one thing was certain: Goddess-sama had not abandoned this country or this world.

Several hundred years had passed since Apostle-sama founded this country. Although we believed in Goddess-sama's existence despite receiving no sign from her, deep down, we had been unable to completely deny the possibility that she had already abandoned us.

Because of this, especially in recent years, we had keenly felt how difficult it was to continue upholding the teachings of Goddess-sama and Apostle-sama. More than half of the nobles had lost their faith and were trying to defy those teachings to increase their own privileges. Now that the teachings of Goddess-sama and Apostle-sama were beginning to become hollow traditions, the emergence of factions that defied them was inevitable.

This was a serious problem, but solving it would be difficult. If the royal family formally declared its commitment to upholding the teachings of Goddess-sama and Apostle-sama, there was a high possibility that a civil war would break out.

Until now, following the teachings had been taken for granted, so we had never openly declared our support for them. We had used that fact to evade the issue, but... we had reached our limit.

A country in which some people gain power and oppress others will eventually decline. For that reason alone, choosing as a nation to defy the teachings was unthinkable.

If we publicized this event on a grand scale and spread the teachings of Goddess-sama and Apostle-sama, people's faith would likely rise again.

This might be a good opportunity to make the royal family's stance clear.

"Thank you for the report. Is the statue still emitting light?"

"It was still glowing when I left Central Church."

"Understood. You may withdraw while we discuss how to respond. For now, I will dispatch knights to Central Church to restore order."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I am deeply grateful. If you will excuse me."

The staff member from Central Church withdrew. We would need personnel to restore order first. I spoke to the knight who had brought the staff member in.

"First, send knights to Central Church. Dispatch ten from the First Knight Order for now. If that proves insufficient, send more."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Next, we had to discuss how to respond. First, Richard and I would decide whom we needed to inform.

"Richard, we will discuss our response. The rest of you, leave us."

Once Richard and I were alone in the office, we sat across from each other on the sofas.

"I believe this is some kind of message from Goddess-sama. What do you think?"

"I agree. That goddess statue is a divine relic. Humans cannot make it glow as a prank, so the fact that it emitted a sacred light suggests that Goddess-sama herself was responsible. I cannot say what it means, but possibilities that come to mind include a major disaster or some kind of anomaly in the Demon Forest."

I understood Richard's thinking. If this was a message from Goddess-sama, it was probably an omen of something bad happening...

If only we knew what it was, we could take measures against it.

"It is highly likely that this is an omen of something bad happening. However, it will be difficult to prepare if we don't know what it is. Should we increase the number of knights stationed in the Demon Forest for now?"

"An event like this cannot be anything trivial. I believe we should take every precaution possible."

"Then we will increase the number of knights stationed in the Demon Forest. We will decide the details later at a meeting with the commanders of the knight orders."

"Understood, Your Majesty. I will make the arrangements."

Silence fell for a moment. Richard was probably thinking the same thing I was.

"Richard, Goddess-sama has not abandoned this country. I thought the same thing when Leon-sama appeared before us, but we still had no conclusive proof that Leon-sama was Apostle-sama. However, this event has convinced me. Goddess-sama has returned to this country. And she has sent Apostle-sama to us."

"Your Majesty... I always believed that Goddess-sama had not abandoned this country. I am overjoyed that it has been proven. And Leon-sama is undoubtedly Apostle-sama. However, since he is hiding that fact, I believe it would be best to continue pretending that we have not noticed, as we have until now."

"As for Leon-sama, we will proceed as before. But can you tell him about this event?"

"Understood, Your Majesty."

He must have had some reason for hiding it, but I hoped this event would serve as some kind of catalyst.

"In addition, we will announce this event throughout the country on a grand scale. Along with that, we plan to spread the teachings of Goddess-sama and Apostle-sama once again."

"Then...! Does that mean the royal family will support our faction?"

"Yes. We will support the teachings of Goddess-sama and Apostle-sama and ensure that nobles and commoners help one another. If a noble wields power unjustly, that noble will be held accountable even when the other party is a commoner. That was how the system worked in the past. It became a hollow tradition at some point, though..."

"I deeply admire Your Majesty's decision. However, if we suddenly tighten the rules, there is a danger that it could lead directly to civil war. I humbly suggest that you make things stricter little by little."

"That is true... But after receiving a message from Goddess-sama, would anyone still defy her teachings?"

As nobles, they ought to have learned not only about Apostle-sama's greatness, but also how powerful and terrifying he was... I couldn't imagine them opposing him.

"Many of them were trying to increase their own privileges, so I believe few will be able to accept being told to do the opposite. In addition, many will not be convinced unless they see that terrifying power with their own eyes."

Indeed, many nobles, having been born with power, mistakenly believed themselves to be strong, chosen individuals.

Could a civil war break out even now?

"If the royal family supports the teachings of Goddess-sama and Apostle-sama, do you think civil war will be unavoidable even at this point?"

"No. If we gradually tighten things at this point, some nobles may switch sides, while those who do not will likely obey outwardly. They will probably wait and see for a while. What happens after that will depend on Your Majesty's skill."

Then we might be able to manage it. If civil war broke out immediately, we would have no way to respond, but if it did not, there would be things we could do. We had to prevent a civil war from claiming the lives of innocent citizens at all costs.

It would be quickest if Leon-sama demonstrated his power as Apostle-sama and led the country... But I could not leave everything to someone else. I was this country's king.

"Then we should be able to manage somehow. I have capable ministers at my side, after all."

"You give me too much credit."

"I would like to settle what we will tell the people, but first, shall we go see the goddess statue?"

"Are you going to see it...?"

Until just moments ago, Richard had been wearing the expression of an obedient retainer, but his face suddenly crumpled into an exasperated look.

He didn't have to look at me like that. Anyone would want to see it if it was emitting sacred light, wouldn't they?

"As the king of this country, I should see it at least once."

"...You are certainly right, Your Majesty. Then I will make the arrangements."

Richard said that, then called back the civil officials and escort knights who had left.

"His Majesty and I will be going to Central Church to inspect the prayer room. It is sudden, but make the necessary arrangements."

"Understood, Your Majesty."