Chapter 198

After that, the Inquisition found several people who worshiped the Demon Race.

All the deceased had died in agony. Most were those devoted to the Demon Race, while many of the caught-up ones were their acquaintances or family members.

The living ones… were mostly half-human, half-demon beings we had seen last time.

However, amongst them, there was still no one who could commit the same kind of terror as before.

“Thanks to the Saint… I mean, Sister.”

The Inquisition officer who came to report that to me said with a smile.

“There were many witnesses to Sister’s battles that day.”

Saint Power cannot be captured on camera. It is simply a force that can be recognized as “being there” by the human eye.

On the other hand, Magic Power can be captured by cameras. It was a much more easily identifiable “phenomenon” than Saint Power.

Thus, people could witness the Magic Power that seemed like it was going to engulf the world tear through. That footage remained.

No one could limit what was seen. Those living nearby who had smartphones probably recorded that video and took photos.

While the Saint Power itself was invisible, the sight of the black clouds tearing apart to reveal the blue sky was already divine in itself.

Moreover, the Church was cooperating with the media to continuously spread how the “results of wishes” claimed by the Demon Race were progressing.

While it might have been difficult for news to get through in the medieval times, in this era, it was the age where the truth could literally be laid bare for people to see.

In the past, when a romantic atmosphere hung over the war, it is said that the development of television played a part in completely reversing that public sentiment.

And at the center of that “faith” was me.

“However, Sister, there was a protest recently. It wasn’t very large, but the content of the protest was worth considering.”

“…What was the content of the protest?”

“It was said that your inability to ascend to the position of Saint is due to the machinations of the powerful.”

Upon hearing the story, Ria glanced my way.

But she did not interject. This was a topic I needed to lead.

As my position became more secure, our external relationship continued to strengthen. Although we always stuck together whenever we were in the same room, externally, we were merely the “Saint Candidate Nun” and the “bodyguard protecting that nun.”

Thanks to Ria’s father, no one questioned her abilities or lineage, but digging too deeply into what the knight protecting her thinks about the Church’s powers was also problematic.

While rumors about our “personal relationship” were slowly and cautiously spreading, until now, that relationship remained formal.

Well, anyway.

I pressed my jittery head down with my hand and said, “So, the protest was about me needing to ascend to the position of Saint, right?”

“Yes. The scale of the protest wasn’t large, and most citizens reacted with indifference, questioning whether such a protest was necessary, but at least the discourse about that power struggle has gained some acceptance.”

“It’s not something that can be managed by the Church.”

“That’s right.”

If the Church tried to control the media or public opinion, it wouldn’t end well. I wanted to save the world, not rule it.

“But I have no intention of ascending higher. At the very least, I hope you convey that message clearly.”

“Yes, I’ve already mentioned it several times, but…”

Well, the aftermath is always the same.

Whether I went out personally to say so or not, in the end, people would interpret and spread the story as they pleased. I couldn’t help it either way.

Fortunately, the Church’s stance was solid. The Pope himself stood firmly against it. As a person who had no particular thoughts about his own position, regardless of what suspicions people might have, the Pope was always on my side.

Not that there wouldn’t be those subtly hoping I would rise higher.

“Are you okay?”

As we exited the interview, Ria asked.

“I’m fine.”

Even though my head hurt, it was something I couldn’t help. Everyone yearns for light, and I understood that to some extent.

The reason I came to this world.

People believe in something because they need something to believe in.

The reason I was an atheist was that, considering the existence of such a god—meaning, the existence of someone who “loves the world”—the world simply didn’t seem perfect enough.

Thus, in this world too, I needed a reason to believe in that being above, and I was that being.

So, I thought this was something I couldn’t avoid.

“Should we take a little break? Just resting for a few days can also be a way, you know?”

Ria, knowing I wouldn’t stop even if she told me to, said that.

“Well… maybe.”

I looked up at the sky.

The sky was a brilliant blue.

Winter was still in full swing. It would take at least another month to say spring had come.

As Ria said, I did want to rest a bit, but there was still too much to do.

“I still need to visit the research lab, and I need to talk to Paina and Pertia too. Plus, there’s Glaria and Davi.”

At my words, Ria wore a complex expression.

“You have way too much on your plate for just a nun.”

“It’s all work I’ve set up myself.”

I took a deep breath.

Yeah. I don’t want to rise higher. I wouldn’t want the Church to saddle me with this and that either.

However, at the very least, I had to ensure that the work I had set in motion was completed.

Looking back now, it wasn’t all that bad.

The beings that torment the ‘Saint’ had not clearly appeared in this world yet. I couldn’t say there were no such groups, but they weren’t large enough to directly strike me.

The Hunter Associations, meaning those across the nation and the world, began making weapons imbued with my Saint Power. Therefore, at the very least, this world wouldn’t collapse in an instant like Mari and Anna’s world.

But the story wasn’t over.

We had not yet been able to drive the Demon Race out completely. Even if we couldn’t do so from the entire universe, we still needed to exert all our strength to ensure they wouldn’t appear in this world again.

That was the work I had “set in motion.”

Ria could not counter my statement. It was the truth.

“First, let’s head to the lab. I’m sorry for bothering you so much, Ria.”

“…You said the things you do are your own work, right?”

In response to my words, Ria laughed incredulously and said.

“This is my work too. I intend to take full responsibility for it. Isn’t it only natural?”

I had no particular retort to that.

I just smiled.

That smile was genuine.

*

“The research is in the final stages.”

Dwarf Princess Emily replied that way.

Her body had regained some Magic Power, but it still wasn’t as much as when I first met her. It seemed she had determined she could substitute that Magic Power with the magic stone.

“However…”

“Is there something wrong?”

“It’s been a long time since we had contact with that world. We have no idea what has happened beyond it.”

“I see…”

“I thought about what I heard regarding Glaria, and I found something similar in the Dwarf Kingdom’s own ‘extreme poison.’”

I could recall to some extent.

Even the Dwarves, who stored Magic Power in their bodies, could rot if exposed to Magic Power for too long, depending on the individual.

And that was the state of Glaria and Davi when I first saw them.

The Elves were also a civilization that used magic, having evolved their civilization through that magic for a very long time. If that extreme poison mixed with Magic Power, it would be beyond imagination.

“I’ve heard that the Elf civilization uses Magic Power less than the Dwarf civilization does. What if someone passed on that knowledge?”

“Passing on knowledge…”

“Now, we barely have the technology to open the Gate, but didn’t Anna mention that the Demon Race seems to handle the Gates?”

“…”

“Of course, they wouldn’t open Gates without any cost. Moreover, it doesn’t seem like they can access the exact coordinates. If they could, the world would have already undergone a massive invasion.”

There are some speculations. The assumption that the Demon Race is better at finding “places with abundant Magic Power.”

For Dwarves, Magic Power is still within the realm of “technology.” It’s a skill developed separately for direct “use.”

For the Demon Race, Magic Power is closer to an inherent ability. Hence, one could argue they couldn’t develop sophisticated technologies like those of the Dwarves.

Additionally, it was also our speculation that not all those Gates were the work of the Demon Race. To some extent, they occur naturally, and this world is only just getting caught up in that phenomenon.

The Demon Race regards those Gates as “the power bestowed by their gods,” another religious group.

Or perhaps, it’s because of that that they even believe they must “become gods” themselves.

“Of course, this is merely speculation. Those who handle Magic Power tend to be highly instinctive, so they might have come up with that naturally, or it could just be the Elves’ technique. However…”

If there were beings that could transcend worlds and exchange knowledge.

That would mean the Demon Race could also be included in that list. At the very least, there was no way to directly cross from the Dwarf world to the Elf world.

“…Let’s think a little more carefully before opening the Gate.”

I could only answer that way for now.