「Proxy Warriors. In each order serving the Seven Chief Gods and Nine Goddesses, they are the beings closest to the divine—those who fight in the Mortal Realm as the instruments of God’s will.」
“So they’re similar to witches.”
「Indeed. Witches are the most prominent example. However, there is one key difference.」
Liam’s voice resonated with a low, heavy vibration.
「Among the witches, the entire sisterhood functions collectively as the Proxy Warriors for the ‘Father of the Sky.’ Because of that, the authority bestowed by the heavens is spread evenly among them. But for the other fifteen Proxy Warriors, there is only one for each order.」
“……”
「It means their power isn’t fragmented or shared; it is concentrated entirely into a single point.」
A chill ran down my spine, as if a block of ice had been pressed against the nape of my neck.
「The Proxy Warriors of the Seven Chief Gods and Nine Goddesses each take after the deity they serve. Though they all uphold different values, there is one trait most of them share.」
“And what’s that?”
「They loathe the Caravan.」
“……”
Dammit.
「It seems another trial awaits you, young descendant.」
It didn’t look like this was going to end well.
“How strong is a Proxy Warrior?” I asked, already resigned to the answer.
The reply came instantly.
「Until the emergence of the Swordmasters, no being—save for the Dragons—could stand against a Proxy Warrior of God.」
*
The old woman had appeared out of nowhere, her dry eyes scanning the surroundings. She didn’t shrink back in the slightest; instead, her hunched posture almost made it seem as if she were looking down on us. Finally, the old woman, who had remained silent until now, slowly opened her mouth.
“I will give you time.”
Her voice was kind.
“My brothers and sisters who serve the Cross have committed sins in this land. They claimed to swing their maces in accordance with doctrine, but innocent blood was spilled by the very weapons they wielded. Those who merely wished to worship the Sun, those who lived their days through honest toil, devoted mothers, and diligent patriarchs—they all left this world without cause.”
Her gentle voice spread far and wide, echoing through the air.
“My brothers and sisters are devout, but they were not as noble as their faith. The punishments they dealt were heavier than what God desired, and those who received penalties far exceeding their sins appealed in their resentment. It is because my brothers and sisters are still lacking. Punishment must be meted out justly, according to the sin. Otherwise, punishment becomes nothing more than violence.”
The old woman’s eyes swept over the crowd.
“The legitimate Pope and the Holy See that leads our brothers and sisters told me to judge this city. However, one cannot judge those who have committed no sin.”
Having said that, the woman took the cross from her back. She slammed the Red Cross into the ground and spoke in a hallowed voice, as if reciting scripture.
“I have come to reclaim the Land of the Cross as recorded in the scriptures. But reclaiming the land is enough; I am satisfied if prayers can be offered there and pilgrims can visit. The original lands created by the gods belong to no one, and one cannot claim rights just by planting a flag. In the end, the only things one can take beyond death are nobility and purity. The Holy See, tainted by secularism and ambition, is still too deficient to know the truth.”
“……”
“In a short while, I shall reclaim the Holy Land. I will not destroy buildings, nor will I kill the innocent. That is all. Reclaiming the sacred ground.”
The old woman smiled warmly.
“Those without sin, step across this cross. Those with even the slightest sin, confess your transgressions to the Son of Sin and Punishment. The weight of a sin spoken aloud and the weight of a sin hidden deep in the heart are bound to differ. Only the noble acknowledge and reveal their sins to receive sacred forgiveness.”
As she spoke, the cross began to glow.
“If there is anyone among you without sin, anyone who considers this unreasonable violence, feel free to cast a stone at me. I am the flame that burns sinners, but I am also a mere flicker that can be extinguished by the breath of the lowliest, most noble being.”
Her tone was kind.
Her gaze felt benevolent, and her impression was gentle. Despite the ominous atmosphere, the people began to waver at her display. All the residents of Vicente were believers in Rebrua, Goddess of the Sun. To them, the old woman’s pious appearance seemed somewhat trustworthy. She was different from the aggressive Crusaders and the violent Inquisitors they had seen until now.
“W-will it be okay?”
Muttering to himself, a man stepped forward, attempting to walk toward the old woman. But the moment he emerged, her head snapped toward him. She glared at him with a piercing gaze that seemed to see right through him. Then, a voice entirely different from before rang out.
“Sinner.”
At that moment, a Red Cross was etched into the old woman’s eyes—into her pupil-less whites—accompanied by a grotesque sound, as if capillaries were bursting one by one.
“Stay where you are. You are a sinner who must be judged. Wait for your rightful punishment. To think you would try to evade God’s eyes by hiding your sin instead of confessing it… That, too, is a grave sin, heretic.”
Her voice was bone-chilling.
The man who had stepped out froze at the sudden transformation. Trembling, he asked cautiously, “W-what sin have I committed?”
“The sin of failing to protect your family to the end. As the head of a household, did you not flee in the face of crisis instead of protecting your wife? If you swore marriage under the heavens, the patriarch has a duty to protect the members of his family. You abandoned that duty, and your weak, small wife died. You should not have done that. You should have given your life to protect your family.”
The old woman’s voice rang out like a blade.
The man replied, shaking, “H-how could I? I’ve never fought anyone in my life. How could I stand against a Holy Knight with a mace? How is fleeing a sin? Why do you blame me instead of the one who used violence? Losing my wife was already more punishment than I can bear.”
“The one who used violence will receive their fitting punishment. Sin and punishment are decided by God. Just because you suffered does not mean you have been punished. You have a price yet to be paid. The criteria are set solely by the Son of Sin and Punishment.”
“……”
“There is also the sin of not working diligently. You agreed to work eight hours, yet there were times you worked only seven hours and thirty minutes. You drank on days that were not designated holidays, and you were occasionally unfaithful to your duties, idling away. Slothful, cowardly fugitive. Your sins are overflowing.”
Only then did everyone present realize.
“The punishment for a fugitive is to have both legs carved away. The punishment for one who fails their duty is to have both eyes plucked out. The punishment for the slothful is to be cast into boiling water. Punishment awaits you, sinner. So, stay in your place and wait for it quietly.”
The old woman before them…
Was no less terrifying than the Crusaders of the Order of the Cross who had occupied the port city of Vicente; if anything, she was far worse. The man stumbled back, trembling. Meanwhile, the old woman struck the top of the cross planted in the ground with a heavy thud .
“The time is up, yet no one has come forward. No one has confessed their sins. I expected as much. Those who do not serve the Son of Sin and Punishment could never have the courage for confession. Perhaps you are so deficient that you cannot even recognize your own sins. Even that is a sin. In my eyes, most of you are sinners. But there is no need to worry. Unlike my brothers and sisters, I do not deal punishments heavier than the sin.”
Tears began to fall from the old woman’s eyes.
Red tears of blood.
“Only the rightful punishment shall be dealt to everyone.”
At that moment, she pulled the cross from the ground and swung it back onto her shoulders. Carrying the cross, she approached the retreating man. Gasping for breath, the man tripped over a stone while trying to flee. He fell pathetically, crawling on the ground with a face pale as a ghost as he watched her. The old woman didn’t run; she walked toward him with a leisurely stride. The distance between them closed.
And then.
“No!”
A small girl burst out from among the residents of Vicente, standing between the old woman and the man. The girl squeezed her eyes shut and cried out.
“Don’t punish my daddy!”
“Why do you shield a sinner?”
“My daddy ran away and left Mommy behind to protect me! Mommy screamed at him to take me and run! And… and the drinking was because work was so hard! It was because I caused trouble and begged for things I wanted!”
Clear tears streamed down the girl’s face.
“H-he didn’t slack off at work, either! I was the one who nagged him to come home early! He only played sometimes to play with me! So please, don’t punish my daddy. My daddy is hardworking, he’s cool, and he’s the best daddy in the whole world! If Daddy has a sin, it’s my fault. So…”
“What a wonderful confession.”
The old woman smiled warmly at the girl’s words.
“Through your confession, your sins have been lightened, little girl. But that does not mean the sins have vanished. You made a wonderful confession, but there are still sins you haven’t revealed, aren’t there?”
“W-what?”
“You have plucked grass before. You have stepped on insects. You have harmed life and even taken lives smaller than your own; this is a sin. The punishment to be dealt to you is the amputation of the hands and feet that plucked the grass.”
The girl’s eyes shook violently.
“The Son of Sin and Punishment deals punishment fairly to everyone.”
With that, the old woman raised her hand.
Her wrinkled hand reached toward the cowering girl.
And then.
“Are you insane?”
For a moment, the world stopped.
When the world resumed its flow, I was standing between the girl and the old woman. And between the old woman and me was a long blade. The blade was piercing the old woman’s wrist with precision, but surprisingly, the sharp tip couldn’t leave even a scratch on her skin. I glared at her and spoke.
“If you’re going to grow old, you should at least do it gracefully.”
The old woman’s face contorted hideously.
“Filthy Caravan…”
“Even my master doesn’t lay a hand on children.”
A red light swirled in the old woman’s eyes.
Of course, I didn’t just stand there.
My sword began to glow.
“First the Great Forest, and now this. You old folks keep making me angry.”
I thought she was sane because she spoke so kindly, but what? Amputating a child’s hands and feet? There’s no need to show restraint against someone like this. I absolutely despise people of this sort.
“You say you deal punishment to those who commit sins? Then where were you when these people were suffering, only to show up now and torment the weak? Where were you when they needed help, only to come late and demand a price? In a world overflowing with those far more deserving of judgment, why do you leave them be and only harass these people?”
Truly, I had had enough.
“People like you have no right to punish anyone.”
I took a deep breath. My perception of the world expanded.
「Young descendant.」
While the old woman’s face twisted like a monster’s, I didn’t flinch. Instead, keeping my sword leveled at her, I took a step back and ran my hand along the extended blade. As if wiping away dust.
It wasn’t a sudden bout of germaphobia in the middle of a fight. This was a preparatory movement.
「She is the perfect opponent to test your newly mastered Steel.」
The third Steel.
The preparatory stance for Polished Light.
