How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Book 14: Chapter 12

A little after Souma and Sills meeting, there was a major move underway in the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State...

The hardliners who wished to join with Fuugas new faction won the political battle, and began suppressing the moderates. The hardliners opposed Maria of the Gran Chaos Empire who had wrongfully assumed the title of saint. Fuugas burgeoning fame following his unification of the Union of Eastern Nations worked in the favor of the hardliners. Because this was a struggle among the higher-ups of the church, most of the individual believers who made up the general populace never knew about it.

As a result, the suppression was done quietly, in the shadows. Moderate bishops were taken in as heretics one after another. One night, as all this was happening, the time came for an old moderate cardinal and the saint candidate under his protection, Mary, to say their farewells.

Youre certain...you cant come with me? Mary asked sadly, and the old cardinal nodded.

I have always intended to stay in this country to the bitter end.

But if you stay, youll be...

Hoh hoh hoh... Im getting on in years. I wait only for Lady Lunarias guidance now, so I have no lingering attachment to the mortal realm. The old cardinal placed a hand on Marys shoulder and continued. But you are all still young; still with many things to accomplish. You must live, and keep the faith, no matter what. May the blessings of Lady Lunaria be upon you.

Yes... Mary said, tearing up. The old cardinal smiled at her.

Ahh, I do have one worry though. That rotten bishop Souji is in the Kingdom of Friedonia. I couldnt bear to see the believers in that country fall into depravity because of him. Mary, watch him closely, and see to it that he attends to his duties seriously.

I most certainly will... Mary said, nodding, and placed a kiss on the old cardinals hand. Then, rising, she said, Ill take my leave now.

Bowing once, Mary left the cardinals room. Wiping her tears as she walked through the halls of the church, she passed another girl. She was a cute little thing with a baby face and short black hair.

Mary bowed, thinking to walk past her without saying any more, but...stopping and turning to look back, she called the other girls name.

Anne.

The girl shed called turned to face Mary. There was no light in her eyes, making her look almost like a puppet.

Anne, I heard you were chosen as Fuugas saint, Mary said.

It is a greater honor than I deserve...

Anne pressed her hands to her chest and bowed her head. Mary was worried, seeing her like this.

Do you understand the fate that awaits you?

To support Gods chosen king, Lord Fuuga. That is the mission heaven has bestowed upon me.

In Lunarian Orthodoxy, saints were tools that connected the Lunarian Orthodox Church to influential figures of the time. In order to please these figures, they had to accept anything that was done to them. They were like puppets at the whims of their owners. This duty was taught to them, and they were raised solely to carry it out.

It had been the same for Mary, who was chosen as Soumas saint. Now, however, Mary understood how warped it all was. And precisely why she couldnt help but extend a hand to the girl in front of her.

Anne. Will e with me?

I do not understand what you speak of.

Once you see the broader world... In the Kingdom, youll be able to find a life other than as a saint.

Whyever would I do that? Anne looked completely mystified. I have been blessed with a mission from Lady Lunaria. Why should I need to abandon it? Why now, when I have at last been able to discover the reason I was born?

Well...

Saints were often orphans. This was because its easier to instill faith into a person who has nothing to cling to. In doing so, they became loyal to authority figures, and willing to give their lives for the faith.

Mary had tried to warn the nearly one hundred saints of the danger of their predicament, and urged them to flee the country, but roughly half of them chose to stay. Were Mary the same person she once was, she might have made the same decision.

Obedience to the teachings of the Lord is a virtue. However, when people speak to you of the Lords teachings, if you do not consider that they may be giving you a warped interpretation, that is not obedience but blindness. The higher-ups, in particular, are prone to infighting, and corrupt easily, after all.

However, even if she invited her, Anne would likely not give up on being a Saint. Knowing that so well that it hurt, Mary closed her eyes.

May Lady Lunarias blessing be upon you, at the very least...

Yes. And upon you, Lady Mary, Anne responded without a hint of irony.

She had nothing but the purest of faith, and no malice for those she dealt with. That only made it all the sadder, but Mary turned and walked away quickly. She didnt have that much time left.

Mary headed for a disused chapel near the eastern gates of the city walls. When she arrived and headed in, she was surrounded by a number of girls and priests. They numbered nearly eighty in total.

Lady Mary!

Lady Mary, what will become of us now?

They were the saint candidates who had agreed to escape with her, as well as priests of the moderate faction. Many of the candidates were younger than Mary. They had likely been willing to listen to her because their indoctrination was not yet complete.

In an attempt to calm them, Mary said, Its going to be okay. Everything should be organized already.

Then, looking around the gloomy church, she said, Youre there, arent you? Come out, please.

When Mary called out, the very next moment a large man clad in pitch-black armor emerged from the darkness. He wore a terrifying black tiger mask over his head.

Eek! That bizarre appearance made a number of the saint candidates cry out.

Its okay, Mary stepped forward as if to shield the other girls, then spoke to the big man with the black tiger mask. Youre Sir Soumas agent, correct?

Yes, maam, the big man with the black tiger mask put his hands together in front of him and bowed his head. I am Kagetora. I will take all of you to the Kingdom at the behest of my master, His Majesty Souma Kazuya, who received a request that we do so from Bishop Souji Lester.

I see. Were sorry to trouble you.

Hearing Marys words, the girls finally realized this person was an ally, and calmed down.

Seeing that, Kagetora said, I must urge you to make haste. When they learn that the saint candidates have disappeared en masse, pursuers will come after you immediately.

We know. Please, lead the way.

Yes, maam.

Kagetora led Mary and the girls to the city walls, not far from the disused church.

Ten carts awaited them there, and men dressed in disguise to look like traveling merchants. They were all members of the Black Cats.

These are our comrades. We will have you escape in those carriages.

Understood. Please hurry aboard, girls.

Hearing Kagetoras explanation, Mary nodded and gave the order.

The saint candidates and priests split up across the ten carts. They were loaded with empty casks of wine which they hid inside. Then they headed for the gates, masked as a merchant caravan.

When they arrived...

Halt! Where are you going at this time of night?! the gate guards called out to stop their caravan. One of the men dressed as merchants responded as representative of the group.

Yessir. We are from the Trading Company, and we came here carrying offerings of some condiments called soy sauce and miso from the believers in the Kingdom of Friedonia to Lord . Now were returning with his gift of blessed wine.

They called it blessed wine, but it was really just wine. The Orthodox Papal State had branded their own countrys wine this way to present it as something people should appreciate as part of their preaching.

Is that true? the soldier asked while peering inside the cart. The traveling merchant bowed his head.

Yessir. I have a note from Lord right here too.

Hmm... Everything seems to be in order.

The soldier nodded after checking the note. The Trading Company was fictitious, but Queen Roroas company did, in fact, ship condiments. As for the note he presented to the guards, it was a genuine one, provided with the help of the old cardinal.

The Kingdom and Mary had both been thorough in preparing for this day. Thanks to that, the carts were not searched.

Very well, you may pass. May the blessings of Lady Lunaria be upon you in your travels.

Thank ye kindly. All right, were going.

And so, Mary and the girls were able to escape the city. When they had traveled some distance away, Mary emerged from her cask, and poked her head out of the cart to talk to Kagetora who was sitting in the drivers seat.

Where to now? she asked.

Under the original plan, we were to follow a poorly guarded route to the border, but...shortly before time came for the operation, we secured a reliable ally. We are going to meet with them.

A reliable ally? Mary echoed, but Kagetora did not answer. The carts moved a little further, then when they crested a hill Kagetora pointed ahead of them.

There they are.

Mary squinted at the figures in the distance.

It was gloomy because of a cloud passing in front of the moon, so she couldnt make them out with any clarity, but as she drew closer she realized there were a number of knights, as well as women with horns and reptilian tails.

One of the knights approached the carts as a representative of this group. You are Madam Mary and her party, yes?

From the voice, Mary could tell the knight was a woman.

Yes...and you are?

I am Queen Sill Munt of the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom.

Mary gasped as her eyes widened with surprise. She couldnt believe a knight of Mother Dragons religion was in the Orthodox Papal State.

The Dragon Knight Kingdom was known to have a contract with the Star Dragon Mountain Range, the center of Mother Dragon worship. Lunarian Orthodoxy and Mother Dragon worship were the two largest religions on the continent, and Lunarian Orthodoxy rejected Mother Dragon worship as heresy.

What is a person from the Dragon Knight Kingdom doing here?

I have come to collect you at King Soumas request.

King Soumas?

Yes. Because our partners, the dragons, can carry carriages higher than even an anti-air repeating bolt thrower can reach, and fly directly to the Kingdom.

Mary was dumbfounded. Partially by the fact that Souma had moved the Dragon Knight Kingdom to aid them, but also that a country belonging to their religious rivals had come to their rescue. She had been surprised by how the different faiths of the Kingdom happily coexisted, but this was an even greater shock to her.

Sensing her internal turmoil, Sill smiled at her and said, Do you hate accepting the help of your business rivals like this?

No... Faith is not a business.

The tension slipped out of Marys shoulders and she smiled back.

Thank you for doing this for us. Were in your care.

Ha ha ha, understood. I promise you a safe journey through the skies.

Sill lifted her hand, signaling Pai and the others to transform into their dragon forms. The dragons each picked up a cart with their horses detached, then the knights climbed onto their backs, and up into the sky they flew. From there, it was straight to the Kingdom.

The dragon knights of Mother Dragon worship saved the saints of Lunarian Orthodoxy. This story would be slightly embellished and spread by those like Souji and the adherents in the Kingdom who did not desire religious strife. Later, when rumors that a large number of moderate bishops had been purged reached the Kingdom, the saint candidates and priests who escaped said, The true saint was Mary, who moved the dragon knights hearts. While this may not have been true, it did lead them to revere her.

Why do they try to make me a saint when Ive already quit being one... Mary was reported to say, troubled.