The Southern Continent is the land of the sun.
Born in a land cultivated under the sun’s warm grace, the living creatures there naturally came to worship it. The first deity they served was the Goddess of the Sun. From a gathering of faith, Rebrua, the Goddess of the Sun, manifested, and the people offered their devotion before the goddess made flesh.
But after the sun set, night arrived.
Lost lambs wandering through a pitch-black world followed the stars. The first travelers worshipped the celestial lights that served as their landmarks and guides. From a gathering of faith, Astra, the Goddess of Stars, manifested. Thus, the life of the Southern Continent found salvation in every moment, day and night.
Through peaceful days and nights, and the steady repetition of seasons, life tilled the earth. Those who could not survive alone formed groups, and within those groups, cultures took shape, giving birth to cities and nations. According to the laws of nature, the wealthy and the poor emerged. In a world where some were full and others starved, a hierarchy was born.
All living things harbor greed. For a being without greed does not develop, and a being without greed does not move forward.
Greed, however, festered into avarice. Avarice manifested in various forms. The wealthy sought to possess more and hoped others would never rise to their level. Discrimination and violence, torture and murder—unspeakable atrocities were born alongside greed. Those dying at the bottom cried out in resentment. Give us order. Save us. Judge those who steal the wives of others and trample young lives to death. Grant us sin and punishment.
A cross was erected on the grave of one who appealed their grievances.
Beneath that blood-stained cross, another god manifested. The god bound to the cross did not bestow grace as warm as the sun, nor did he serve as a guide like the stars. Instead, he handed down a doctrine far more concrete and clear than the abstract ideals of the sun and the stars.
Fitting punishment for sinners.
*
“Ah, the desert sunlight is dazzling.”
Antoine, the City of Stars.
From within the swirling sandstorms of the desert, a man dressed in blood-red priest’s robes appeared. He carried a massive cross on his back; its weathered wood was starkly stained with blood and scraps of flesh, looking like a blade used for slaughtering pigs.
“The heretics hanging from the observatory are still swaying in a grotesque dance. Their blackened, rotting forms are nothing short of filthy. A truly fitting end for sinners, wouldn’t you agree?”
Beside the man were Crusaders clad in iron armor. Their footsteps were accompanied by the heavy clanking of metal, a sound that made pedestrians flee in terror whenever it echoed through the streets.
“Crusader brothers, as you heard during the service, our Holy War is not going smoothly. There are many hardships, but the most painful trial is that Great Warrior Ismael has betrayed the cross, succumbing to the enticements of the cunning Satan. Because of the betrayal of one who should have been noble, the faith of the believers has been shaken, and God has grieved deeply.”
“……”
“We have a duty to hold the believers’ faith steady and to alleviate the sorrow felt by the Son of Sin and Punishment. To do that, we must judge as many of this land’s sinners as possible. Especially those who hold intentions contrary to our doctrine… the star-chasers.”
The man, Inquisitor Abel of the Order of the Cross, spoke with a powerful, commanding voice. From what Abel had heard, their assigned mission was vital. Antoine, the City of Stars located in the Verdi region, was a land of little strategic value. If this were a normal war, the Crusaders would never have wasted their strength on such a place. But this was no normal war. It was a Holy War.
“Brothers!”
What values did the Order of the Star put forward?
They spoke of forgiveness and salvation, inclusion and harmony.
That was the exact opposite of the doctrine of the Order of the Cross.
“Those who have committed sins must receive punishment!”
Paradoxically, the more the Crusaders trampled and burned the Southern Continent, the more followers the Order of the Cross gained. Loved ones die, and the wealth built over a lifetime is reduced to ashes. One’s heart bursts with rage, yet the Order of the Sun calls all of this asceticism and training, while the Order of the Star tells them to forgive even those monsters for the sake of harmony.
“Forgiveness? How on earth are we supposed to grant forgiveness? Can you forgive those who killed and violated your mother, your father, your young child, your brothers and sisters? Can you forgive the man who stole your wife, or the one who drove a knife into your child’s chest? Even if you forgive them, you will never be able to forget. There will be no harmony, and salvation does not exist. Forgiveness is merely a cowardly means for sinners to ease their guilt!”
The living beings of the Mortal Realm cannot do that.
Humans are not great.
Humans are not sublime.
Humans are not noble.
“The man who stole my wife must have his back broken! The one who drove a knife into my child’s chest must be burned to death! Those who made my family starve must be made to starve in kind! The only way the suffering can be comforted is through severe punishment. Only a penalty befitting the crime can be salvation for those who wail!”
The doctrines handed down by the sun and the stars were far too noble.
That was why they were inevitably ignored when a harsh world arrived. A human who has lost something inevitably wishes for others to lose something as well. Of the chivalric novels overflowing in the Central Continent, which was the most popular? Revenge dramas. The common story where the sinner is judged and the virtuous are finally rewarded.
“We wished to teach the most righteous doctrine of the cross to those who do not know the truth. However, the priests of the star shielded the sinners, looked after them, and said that only through forgiveness can one obtain salvation. How can that be? For the sake of the innocent, such a world must not exist. It must never exist.”
Inquisitor Abel looked at the Crusaders. He raised a finger and pointed toward the observatory.
At the ancient observatory, a hanging corpse swayed in the wind.
“Brothers, today we shall once again propagate the doctrine of the cross. And we shall hang the heretics and sinners who hold false beliefs and cast them down into hell. Because that is what…”
As the eyes of the Crusaders fell upon him, Inquisitor Abel lifted the cross from his back and slammed it into the ground. Simultaneously, the authority granted to one with the qualifications of an Inquisitor began to slowly consume Antoine.
“…God desires.”
* * *
A chilly silence flowed.
At the news that the Crusaders had appeared, everyone either hid under tables or squeezed into the back of the restaurant, trembling while clutching their heads. The girl in priestess robes was tightly hugging Priestess Frey, who was staring blankly, as she clasped her hands in prayer.
“O Star that shines even in the darkest night, lead our future to a place without sandstorms. Grant your servants starlight, send down a single ray of light…”
That prayer was different from those of the priests or Crusaders of the Order of the Cross I had seen. It wasn’t a prayer that drew out divinity through short verses. It was a pure prayer unaccompanied by any phenomenon.
“…Shut up.”
Someone hissed.
“Don’t make a sound. What if they hear you and come here?”
“But, I should at least pray—”
“Pray? Don’t make me laugh. Do you think the Star will listen to a prayer offered by a kid who isn’t even a priestess or a nun? The Goddess of Stars only looks after us at night. It’s the middle of the day right now. High noon, where there isn’t even a trace of a star…”
“……”
“Besides, has the Goddess of Stars ever answered us? Even during Antoine’s most prosperous era, the Goddess of Stars remained silent. Even until the priests who served her were trampled, had their hair torn out, and wailed in agony while being hung alive!”
The girl could not find the words to respond to the people’s accusations.
“Traveler, don’t bother protecting that brat.”
“What do you mean?”
“That child is just wearing priestess robes; she hasn’t received any baptism. She was an abandoned child the Order of the Star took in and raised. She’s a kid who was lucky enough to be saved while floating down a river in an old basket. Can’t you tell just by seeing her pray to the Goddess of Stars in broad daylight? She’s just a thoughtless brat playing priestess in scavenged clothes.”
The words were biting. But the girl could not offer any rebuttal.
Just then, the people began to stir.
“I think the Inquisitor has come again. How many more will that madman kill this time? As if hanging all the star priests wasn’t enough, he’s been killing people by attaching all sorts of bizarre charges to them.”
“Let’s fight instead. We can build a barricade here.”
“There’s no chance of winning. Unless there’s a star priest who can perform another miracle to counter the miracles they’ll unleash…”
As they said this, the people glanced at Priestess Frey.
However, Priestess Frey had lost her earlier clarity and was once again smiling vacantly. A woman who had lost her mind could hardly be of help in this situation. The despairing people muttered.
“Or, let’s just join them instead.”
“Join them?”
“Let’s accept the Order of the Cross. The star priests are all dead or gone, and no matter how much we pray, Goddess Astra gives no response. Besides, the doctrine of the Star… honestly, I can’t accept it.”
“What kind of blasphemy is that?”
“The Inquisitor was shouting outside. He asked if we could live in harmony and forgive the one who killed our parents or our children. Hearing him made my heart sink. If my daughter died, I would never be able to live normally. Forgiveness? Don’t make me laugh.”
“……”
“At this rate, the southern lands will be laid to waste. Whether the damn Crusaders take the Southern Continent or the terrifying fleet of the Central Continent storms in, we’re destined to be trampled. No matter what end comes, insignificant people like us will be swept away. I don’t have the confidence to forgive those who take and destroy what is mine. I’m even starting to think they’re right. They aren’t wrong, are they? How can a sinner receive forgiveness? If that were the case, everyone would commit sins. The one who commits a sin must receive a fitting punishment, that’s—”
Clank.
The sound of the Crusaders’ footsteps echoed nearby.
“…That’s what’s right, isn’t it?”
With those words, the man who had been muttering just a moment ago bolted out. While the startled people failed to catch him, the man threw the door wide open and shouted.
“The sinners who hid for fear of punishment are inside here!”
The man’s voice rang out like thunder.
“Hold them accountable for their sins! Quickly!”
At the man’s words, the marching Crusaders came to a halt.
And then.
“Excellent.”
From among the Crusaders, someone dressed in blood-red priest’s robes walked out.
“I, Inquisitor Abel, commend you for not being swayed by trivial sentiment and for upholding the doctrine that punishment must follow sin. It seems even the faded City of Stars had a fine believer.”
Inquisitor Abel.
The man who identified himself as such stroked the head of the kneeling man and slowly entered the restaurant. The old floorboards creaked under his weight.
“Sinners, come out now. If you continue to hide like rats, your sins will only grow heavier. If you shield others, they will grow heavier still. Just like the star priests who shielded those who committed filthy sins until the very end, only to be hung at the foul observatory.”
The people’s breathing became ragged and loud.
“W-what should we do? Should we go out?”
“Are you crazy? Have you already forgotten what they did last time? Those bastards will swing their maces and attach all sorts of charges to us just because we aren’t of the Order of the Cross.”
“Then… we can just say we’ll join the Order of the Cross.”
“Are you serious? You’d submit to the ones who destroyed Antoine and killed the priests so horribly? Just to survive right now?”
“The living… have to keep living, don’t they…?”
“……”
“Then you stay here and talk about forgiveness until you die. And forgive me for betraying you. Isn’t that the doctrine your great Goddess of Stars spoke of? Forgiveness and harmony…”
Hmm.
The situation was taking an ominous turn.
Is it a fundamental problem of religion?
The Order of the Star puts forward forgiveness as its doctrine. But is ‘forgiveness’ truly unconditional? Likely not. These people were focusing only on the doctrine, not the essence. Just as the Great Warrior of Condemnation, Ismael, had.
“F-fine. I’m going out. I’m going to live.”
“Then, then me too—!”
One by one, those who had been hiding began to rush out.
“Inside! There are sinners hiding inside!”
“I-I was going to say it first! This guy, he’s the one who defended the doctrine of the Star and talked about forgiveness until the end. He’s a heretic!”
“When did I! You son of a—!”
The inside of the restaurant was turning into a madhouse. Watching that scene, Inquisitor Abel smiled with delight.
“Excellent, truly excellent.”
As if watching a well-crafted play, Abel had a joyful expression.
And then.
“Inside! There’s a star priestess inside. There’s the last remaining star priestess, and a blasphemous brat who calls herself a star priestess even after seeing the doctrine of the Order of the Cross!”
In the face of fear, their ugliest natures were revealed.
“Now that is interesting.”
Inquisitor Abel looked toward us and gestured.
With a single motion, the Crusaders immediately began walking over with a clanking sound. As the thudding footsteps drew closer, Priestess Frey still wore a vacant expression.
“…Traveler.”
The girl spoke then.
“Thank you for buying me a delicious meal at the end.”
The girl forced a trembling smile. Then, she grabbed Priestess Frey’s hand tightly and bolted outside.
“You murderers with crosses! We are here!”
The girl spoke with as much strength as she could muster, but her voice sounded frail rather than threatening. The sight of her hands and lips quivering was clearly visible.
“Murderers with crosses? We are those who harbor the noble intent of judging sinners. Little lady, if we go by your words, then the father who swings a sword to protect his son, and the soldiers who swing spears to protect the weak, are all hideous murderers.”
“T-that’s different from…”
“I don’t see how it’s different. In the first place, according to the doctrine of the Star, they are all murderers. Doesn’t the Order of the Star tell you to forgive no matter what is done to you?”
“T-that’s…”
Inquisitor Abel was not intimidated by the girl’s appearance. Even though he saw her wearing priestess robes, he merely smiled nonchalantly.
“You are simply saying we are bad because we are not on your side. Those of the same Order of the Star are the good side, those from the same Antoine are the good side, others are the bad side… How narrow-minded.”
“……”
“It’s because you were raised hearing the trivial doctrine of the Star. It’s also because you are a child who just shouts her own thoughts without any intention of understanding anything. Tsk, if you lack learning and hold a false belief, you should know to be ashamed of it. Why are you so confident? This is why I truly dislike brats, haha.”
Inquisitor Abel reached out his hand to a Crusader. The Crusader promptly handed him a mace.
“Your sins are: the sin of not knowing shame, the sin of polluting people’s minds by spreading false words, the sin of not admitting your guilt until the end, and the sin of hiding after committing a crime. The punishment I shall bestow upon you, a clear heretic, is death.”
And then.
“Don’t worry too much. It won’t hur—”
“—Why is it a sin for a child not to know shame?”
Priestess Frey, who had been standing silently, spoke up.
“It’s not that they don’t know shame; it’s that they are pure. All young lives are meant to be pure, and they are beautiful because they are pure and clean. A young life that has learned the ways of the world too early is meant to evoke pity, and if a young life has spread false words, the fault lies with the adults who believed them without question.”
Priestess Frey stepped in front of the girl.
“The doctrine of the Star is not about forgiving everything. The beings living in this world are imperfect, and imperfect beings live by making mistakes and committing wrongs. If we held everyone accountable for all of that, no one would ever try to move forward. Therefore, we must respect those who lead the way, understand and encourage mistakes, and support those who trip and limp. For the sake of all who chase the stars.”
“…Hah.”
“Did you say you truly dislike brats? How foolish.”
Priestess Frey’s back was strangely shimmering. Like a star.
“All adults were once children. But there are few adults who remember that. It seems you are one of them.”
“…Who do you think you’re trying to lecture?”
However, regardless of the clarity flowing in her voice, Priestess Frey was just one middle-aged woman, nothing more and nothing less.
“Brothers, seize her.”
The Crusaders walked forward and grabbed Priestess Frey’s arms. Then, they forced her, who had been standing tall, to her knees. Inquisitor Abel glared at Priestess Frey with angry eyes.
“It seems you shouldn’t be allowed to die peacefully.”
Priestess Frey did not resist. No, she could not resist.
Watching from behind, I let out a sigh.
I thought she might show me something, but I guess not.
Priestess Frey had shown a flash of clarity as sharp as an awl for a moment. But she couldn’t show anything beyond that. It seemed impossible to look for more clues about the Sword in this situation.
In that case.
I can’t just let her die.
It was time for me to step in.
The number of Crusaders is eight, plus one Inquisitor.
Thinking realistically, there was no way to win. How could I face those human weapons in a state where I had lost my strength due to the restriction of the Golden Star?
However.
『Free City Crowde did not live up to its name. For as far as I and the citizens were concerned, this city had long since lost its freedom.』
I might have lost my strength. But I hadn’t lost all my swords.
『To reclaim freedom, someone had to get blood on their hands.』
It was time to fight.
In my own way.
