Chapter 36
There are no gold mines in the Southern Empire.
There are no Rare Resources either, and if you asked whether it was rich in other resources, that was also ambiguous.
The Southern Region was an area predominantly made up of deserts.
Since it couldn’t compete with resources, the entertainment industry was highly developed.
It was a place where most mysterious and unique things were located in the Southern Region.
Should I say it felt like Las Vegas?
On top of that,
“There were also many Heterogeneous Races in the Western Region and the Southern Region.”
I often saw Heterogeneous Races, who were usually hard to spot.
Well, even if they were called Heterogeneous Races, most of them were Beastfolk.
Even then, they were a very small minority, so calling them “many” was actually a bit of a stretch.
[Why are their numbers so small? It’s not like the Empire particularly persecutes Heterogeneous Races, and they’ve never been made into slaves.]
The Empire wasn’t one to actively operate a Slavery System.
Furthermore, due to the recent educational system reform, even the few slaves that existed were disappearing.
[But the Executioners are all of Heterogeneous Races…]
Then does that mean the rest of the Heterogeneous Races are gathered in the Western Region? Is it towards Maselin?
How on earth does that connect to the story?
Actually, there was exactly one worst-case scenario that came to mind.
I wondered if they would really go that far, so I decided not to think too deeply about it.
That wasn’t the core issue right now.
RUMBLE!
The diagonally sliced gold statue fell to the Ground with a thud.
A symbol of faith is seen in a place that has nothing to do with faith?
And a holy statue of Romper, which could be called the symbol of the Holy Kingdom, at that?
The meaning behind this was all too clear.
“They’ve been taking the Holy Kingdom’s money.”
Why would the Holy Kingdom support the Southern Empire? This was a question that didn’t even require deep thought.
[It must be because the Empire hasn’t designated a state religion.]
The Empire did not persecute any specific religion.
It merely told people to practice their religion well on their own, but not to act out excessively.
I remembered that they usually kept to this line well.
The gold statue crossed the line and by quite a lot.
Even when there wasn’t so much as a statue of the Great Prophet.
The symbol of another country’s Religious Order was sitting right there in the Southern Region before that.
[I heard the ones who came as support from the Northern Region brought a few parishes to do missionary work, but were they already operating in the Southern Region?]
The clergy of the Romper Church were dispatched to erase the suspicion of their involvement in the rebellion.
They had been making moves to do missionary work in the Northern Region.
Of course, I stopped that attempt by saying I would kill them the moment they tried.
Seeing as those in a position where they needed to clear their suspicions were boldly thinking of doing missionary work, I wondered where on earth they got that audacity.
“It was because there was already a place where it was progressing well.”
Why didn’t the Southern Region report this matter?
The answer was simple.
Because they had taken a lot of money.
“Gasp, gasp, gasp, Y-Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince…!”
Indeed, after the gold statue was smashed in half.
The Lord who came running in a hurry was plump with fat.
The flashy ornaments draped over his body were one thing.
But to think he would come to greet me in a state that lacked even the basics, no matter how ignorant of etiquette he was.
It was a detail that showed just how rotten the Southern Region had become.
“Gasp… huff… gasp… wheeze…”
He looked like he was struggling just to breathe from running so hurriedly.
“You look busy selling out the country.”
As soon as I casually tossed out that single remark, he heard it.
“Th-th-th-there is absolutely no such truth! Your Highness! I have sworn loyalty to the Empire!”
“Duke Odric, then what is this gold statue? Didn’t you take the Holy Kingdom’s money?”
“Th-th-th-that is! It was sent as a gift by the Holy Kingdom… I was also truly troubled about what to do with it. But for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to clear it away like this, it is an honor for my Family…”
Excuses poured out of him immediately.
Had he heard the news from the Northern Region, the Eastern Region, and The Center?
Duke Odric, who managed the Southern Region overall, was trembling uncontrollably.
No matter how much money and power one had.
It was an attitude of someone who knew better than anyone that it was all over once you died.
It was a sight that reminded me of someone.
And as soon as I had this thought.
“Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I am terribly sorry to speak up, but I wonder if there is a need to waste your precious time dealing with such a lowly person. Therefore, may I handle this matter?”
From behind me, Teo quietly revealed his presence and carefully conveyed his opinion.
“You want to do it?”
“Yes, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the Little Sun of the Empire. But how could you deal with a mere Duke like this and Search for what connection he has with the Holy Kingdom? Please leave such a task to me, your first aide.”
“…”
He was a boy who knew the value of his life better than anyone.
At the words of Teo, the Wizard called the wisest, I nodded.
[He’s trying to act as my own limbs.]
Did he really want that? Just how fruitfully did this guy want to live?
He was displaying his bewildering level of loyalty.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
“It is an honor!”
After telling Teo I would leave the work to him, I did so.
[They sent a gold statue as a gift, huh. Then it’s even more certain they were trying to set up a Forward Base.]
I chuckled at the Holy Kingdom’s bold investment.
“Ha.”
Just how many people would refuse when given a holy statue made of gold?
In the first place, the Empire was a place where Freedom of Religion was guaranteed, so its people probably thought having one holy statue wouldn’t be a problem.
But if you kept accepting the gifts they gave one by one like that, by the time you came to your senses, the Empire’s colors would be completely erased.
“There’s a Temple sitting right there that’s bigger than the Ducal Estate, and they probably just left it alone because they were told it was given for free.”
Their intentions were so transparent that it was almost absurd.
Come to think of it, the attire in the Southern Region was also subtly different from that of the Empire.
It was originally a place where various forms of entertainment were developed, so it had the feel of being at the forefront of fashion.
But unlike its original character, its current appearance clearly showed religious colors mixed in.
A star embedded between flowing valleys.
It was decorated so lavishly that I wondered, “Is it just a pattern?”
But that was clearly the symbol of the Romper Church.
“I said there was Freedom of Religion, but that didn’t mean they should actively do missionary work.”
If they failed to walk the line, they naturally had to be punished as much as they crossed it.
“Clear away all the religious symbols in the Southern Region that have crossed the line. I will take full responsibility.”
First of all, there was a need to clear out the Forward Base.
+++++
Romper Grand Cathedral.
“They say the things of the Romper Church gifted to the Southern Empire are currently being dismantled one by one.”
“…What?”
The Pope, who had been offering prayers there, heard a shocking story.
“In the Southern Region? Why? Wasn’t the Southern Region in an atmosphere of welcoming the Romper Church?”
The Southern Empire.
It was a place they had invested in quite a lot.
The goal was to make the Romper Church the state religion of the Empire.
It was the place where the groundwork was laid first, and it was like the initial outpost.
To suddenly start dismantling the Church’s things?
“Since they are gifts, what to do with them is of course up to the Southern Empire, but this is baffling. Didn’t they originally receive our things well?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Starting with holy water… they actively purchased the Holy Kingdom’s goods, and even went as far as matching their clothing to the Holy Kingdom’s.”
It was a place where the word “friendly” fell short.
The locations of the Southern Empire and the Romper Holy Nation were very close.
While it might not be the case for the entire Empire, looking only at the Southern Empire, it was safe to say they were practically in an alliance.
“Right, exactly… They were so familiar with us, so could the Crown Prince be the reason they changed overnight like this?”
If the situation had reversed completely like this.
There was only one variable capable of that.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The Crown Prince.
They said he had changed, but they didn’t know he would change to this extent.
Even so, he dismantled the Holy Kingdom’s gifts so easily.
“We should at least send a message expressing our disappointment about this.”
“Will just sending a message be enough? Without applying separate pressure…”
“If you think about it, our gifts were excessive. Wasn’t our intention obvious too, since anyone could see we were acting like we were going to swallow up the Southern Region?”
“Even so, can they really argue against it? The justification is that they are gifts that they can do whatever they want with.”
“Right, and since they dismantled those gifts that they can do whatever they want with, it means we can only send a message saying we are disappointed and saddened.”
The Pope looked at his son, Balleryan, who had brought him this news.
“I know what happened at the Empire’s banquet. But even so, escalating this matter is too dangerous.”
“Why is that?”
“Because the justification lies with them.”
Groveling in front of the woman he liked was of course a shameful thing.
But he couldn’t throw the Holy Kingdom into the flames of war just to cover up that shame.
“But they destroyed the symbol of the Holy Kingdom! And the Crown Prince did it, at that! Isn’t this asking for a war?!”
“To start a war with that intention… makes no sense. Do not let your eyes be clouded by love.”
“…”
At the Pope’s words, Balleryan furrowed his brow but realized his mistake.
“I apologize.”
“Alright, as long as you know.”
If the Empire and the Holy Kingdom went to war, what were the chances of the Holy Kingdom winning?
[Fifty-fifty?]
There was the Empire that was falling apart, and the Holy Kingdom that was growing day by day even at this moment.
Even so, the probability would only be about half.
[Even if I mark the Crown Prince for now…]
It was complicated.
Was there no choice but to fold and back down inevitably?
He was having such thoughts.
“Saint! A letter from the Empire has arrived for you, Saint.”
“What? A letter? Are you saying an Envoy has arrived?”
“No. It came via a carrier pigeon… But the carrier pigeon was so fierce that before we could do anything, it just dropped the letter on the floor and disappeared.”
“Ha.”
The news of a letter arriving from the Empire came.
“How can they act so lacking in manners?”
Even as he said that, Balleryan didn’t have the courage to tear up the letter sent from the Empire.
He took the letter the Priest brought, unfolded it, and read it.
It was filled with content written in incredibly elegant and beautiful sentences.
But when it was simply summarized, it was this.
[ Don’t act out ]
“…”
The content meant that sending gifts was fine, but the senders should keep within bounds when sending them.
Just imagining what it would have been like if this hadn’t come as a letter but through an Envoy was terrible.
[Did he purposely send a letter so as not to insult us?]
Was this the Crown Prince’s consideration?
While Balleryan was feeling confused, the Pope also checked the letter.
“…He’s making it clear that the fault lies with us.”
“Do we just have to take it?”
“The suspicion of our involvement in the Northern Rebellion hasn’t disappeared yet, so what do you suggest we do?”
“How about we send a special gift filled with our intentions of apology instead?”
As soon as he heard the Pope’s words, Balleryan looked as if he had come up with a brilliant idea.
He added his words, mentioning a special gift.
“As it happens… isn’t there a heterogeneous Saintess Candidate within the Holy Kingdom?”
“…Rather than heterogeneous, she is currently the Saintess Candidate closest to the position.”
“How is she the closest! The Saintess will be Mirne!”
“So are you saying we should send a Saintess Candidate to the Bellos Empire now? As an apology? What meaning is there in sending a Saintess Candidate?”
The Pope was dumbfounded by Balleryan’s words.
Right now, when the Saintess candidates are competing against each other.
To suddenly send the most likely candidate for Saintess to the Empire?
He was dumbfounded by such a transparent move.
[He was definitely bright, but just how much has love clouded his vision?]
You just want to get rid of the most likely Saintess Candidate in order to make Mirne the Saintess.
The Pope wanted to say that, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Even if they weren’t related by blood, he was a child he cherished as his own.
He couldn’t bring himself to be harsh.
So instead of ignoring the opinion, he asked for their thoughts.
“As an apology, if they don’t like a barrage of gifts, couldn’t we just send a person? Since we are continuously being suspected of rebellion, we can send an important figure from our side as well…”
“So you’re saying we should send a Saintess Candidate to be used as a hostage?”
“I’m saying we should make a strong move. If we continue to be suspected of rebellion forever, we will have no choice but to remain in a disadvantageous position.”
“…”
Even while thinking he shouldn’t have asked, he couldn’t deny that it sounded quite plausible.
[Rebellion Support… honestly, it’s hard to say there was none at all.]
But even so, if asked, “Did you guys really do it?”, they could deny their involvement at any time.
However, it was also a situation where it was difficult to just back out easily.
But what if, at a time like this, they offered generous support and suggested pretending it never happened?
[Not bad.]
They couldn’t stay in a low posture forever.
[Even so, if I or the Saint goes, there’s a high chance the matter will escalate.]
But wouldn’t it be fine if it were a Saintess Candidate?
Just as such a conclusion was slowly creeping up.
At this time, the Crown Prince.
“Hmm?”
[ Villainess approaches you. ]
“What? Suddenly?”
I received an unexpected message from the Villainess Ring.
“Teo, so how did the investigation go?”
“Yes! I confirmed that he really only only received gifts! There was some minor embezzlement by the Duke, and I would like to hear your esteemed opinion on what should be done!”
“Leave the minor embezzlement alone. There are tons of bastards who sold out the country. That much is cute enough to overlook.”
“Understood!”
It was shortly before I received the message that the Saintess Candidate was coming to the Empire.