Chapter 79

There are days like that.

Days when the sky is clear, without a single cloud, yet looking up only makes you feel more gloomy.

When you’re exhausted from hardship, when you want to forget painful memories, when a heavy melancholy soaks your body, people look up at the sky.

Hoping that the silent sky might offer them even a small comfort.

Like a drowning person lifting their head toward the surface.

And then they sink again. Endlessly.

The morning sunlight didn’t feel warm but rather like an unpleasant heat.

That day, the citizens of the capital must have all fallen into the same sentiment.

As if revealing scars branded deep in their hearts.

Recalling the lingering sorrow and endless resentment they had forced themselves to ignore for dozens of days.

In the midst of this gloomy atmosphere, where all kinds of emotions surged, the funeral mass was finally held.

—

There was no body.

They had long since burned them all, fearing the plague.

Not even a trace of ashes remained.

Identifying the dead was impossible anyway.

Almost no bodies were left in a recognizable state.

So this mass was simply a ritual to pray that the souls of all the deceased would safely ascend to heaven.

In the vast square before the Exra-shapel Cathedral, a massive memorial was erected.

Countless people had gathered, yet none of them spoke.

Not even a sob could be heard. It wasn’t yet time to shed tears.

The ceremony proceeded in solemn silence.

“—And so, may all ascend to heaven and find peace. Though the gods they serve may differ, may they reach their own heavens in the embrace of their deities. We believe that Emperor Carolus and the Twelve Knights will guide them. And may such a tragedy never happen again.”

The one in charge of the mass was Lacey Elmain Staldorf, a saint candidate of the Elpinel Church.

Unlike usual, she wore a black habit instead of her white vestments, with a black veil covering her head.

With her eyes closed and head bowed in prayer, she looked every bit like a saint.

Following her lead, all the priests participating in the funeral mass prayed to their respective gods.

As if in response, eleven pillars of light descended from the sky.

Thinking coldly, it was likely just a spectacle orchestrated by the priests.

But to the grieving families, it must have seemed as though the gods had answered their prayers.

For a while, wails echoed. Tens of thousands of people collapsed, crying and calling out the names of the victims.

A sorrowful chorus filled the square.

The priests did not stop them.

This was a place to pour out their grief and rise again.

I just watched the scene with a numb feeling.

Every tear held a tragedy.

Every sob carried a name that echoed in my ears.

I will probably never forget this sight.

—

Gradually, the pillars of light faded.

As if in sync, the cries of the people also began to subside.

Though no one had said to do so, it was as if everyone had silently agreed.

A strange sense of unity among them must have caused this phenomenon.

And so, the funeral mass continued.

Bishops from each church order took turns expressing their condolences, and finally, the Emperor himself appeared.

The Emperor of the Empire, Ferdinand II, was a man who looked visibly ill.

Though only around fifty, he appeared well over sixty.

His gray beard and thinning hair. His sunken cheeks and slightly bent back.

If not for the crown on his head, it would have been hard to believe this man was the Emperor.

Dressed in mourning attire with a black cloak, he stepped forward holding a scepter.

Four masters and twenty knights followed behind him. They were the Royal Guard.

“800 years ago. Our great ancestor, Emperor Carolus, and the Twelve Knights began their glorious first steps right here, in front of the Exra-shapel Cathedral.”

The Emperor began his speech.

His voice sounded tired and weak, but everyone listened intently.

“For decades after, humanity fought endlessly to uphold dignity, not for their own survival but for the peace and stability of all mankind… and finally created the glorious Kal Ros Empire, an eternal sanctuary. From that day until today, such a tragedy had never occurred, nor could it have. Humanity has always triumphed, no matter the enemy.”

And then he bowed his head.

The most revered man in the Empire, bowing to everyone.

“The glorious land that never allowed a single scar. The wounds left on Exra-shapel are due to my lack of virtue. I cannot contain my regret and shame. To the ancestors who protected this land, to those who have lost their families, I bow my head in apology.”

After finishing his speech, the Emperor approached the memorial and poured holy oil beneath it.

As if wishing a final blessing upon the dead.

Seeing him like that, he must have been quite something in his youth…

He probably would have been a good emperor…

After the emperor finished paying his respects and left, Lacey stepped forward again.

“With this, the funeral mass is concluded, and I would like to convey one final plea to all of you.”

It seemed she was about to give a closing speech.

The bereaved families held their breath and listened intently to her words.

“Your grief resonates deeply with me. However, Elpinel once said, ‘Blessed are those who forgive their enemies.’ That is the mercy of Elpinel and the right mindset one should hold.”

…This is a bit strange.

Is she really going to tell us to forgive the beastmen here?

I could feel the crowd stirring, perhaps thinking the same as me.

“I understand your confusion. To forgive the beastmen—such words are hard to swallow. But that is not what I mean.”

Lacey shook her head, her eyes half-closed, solemnly.

“He also left us with these words: ‘Hate the sin, but not the person.’ Do you understand what this means?”

Does it mean to hate the massacre but mercifully forgive the beastmen?

I doubt these people would accept that.

“Do not hate the person. That’s right. The only thing we must not hate is the person!”

Wait, what?

What did she just say?

“Then what should we do? To follow His will, we must forgive our enemies. But if the only thing we can forgive, the only thing we must not hate, is the person, then our task is clear. We must turn them, the beastmen, into people!”

The crowd lifted their heads to look at her.

I also looked at her.

“There is only one way. As the eleven gods have already spoken, ‘Those who turn to the gods in death shall ascend to the heavens and be embraced in His arms. At the judgment seat, they shall enter heaven or fall into hell based on their lives. But those who do not believe in the gods, the faithless animals, shall die and be reborn eternally, repeating the cycle of reincarnation until they reach faith!’ Yes! This is the answer!”

Lacey’s voice grew stronger, filled with immense self-confidence.

Her confidence began to spread to the crowd, making them empathize.

Perhaps Lacey’s speech was right.

The square grew heated, filled with a fervent emotion different from grief.

I watched in bewilderment as the saint candidate’s speech resonated with the people.

“The beastmen are the most evil beings on this earth! They kill without eating, devour those they can communicate with, and revel in their screams and bloodshed! They live solely by instinct, truly no different from beasts! Therefore, to forgive the beastmen, we must kill them all, release them from the path of beasts, and reincarnate them until they finally become people!”

The fervor turned into rage.

The faces of those who remembered the past horrors showed clear hostility.

“This is the belief and will that the human empire has upheld for eight hundred years. When the weary fall on the battlefield, the young who inherit their swords rise again, burning like the sun, fighting endlessly to protect this one resolution!”

Lacey declared, spreading her arms wide.

A pure white halo shone behind her, like the wings of an angel.

Though it wasn’t exactly Elpinel’s will, it was a divine light emanating from Lacey herself.

“One race! One world! One faith! That is the right future humanity must strive for! Therefore, we must exterminate all beastmen from this world! Not a single one left, until they are reborn as people! Until they become people and finally earn the right to be forgiven! That is the true mercy of Elpinel!”

Everyone wept and praised her.

I was just bewildered.

Finally, I could understand the truth behind her name.

Lacey Elmain Staldorf.

In other words, Lacey Staldorf, chosen by Elpinel.

Lacey…Staldorf.

Yes.

Lacey Staldorf.

Lacey Staldorf…!

Lacey Staldorf…!

Lacey Staldorf…!