𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒
(4)
The numerical values are increasing.
The glowing windows that appeared in the sky were visible to everyone. Strangely, they could be seen even indoors or in dark places. No matter where they moved, if they looked up, there was a window.
The people who had survived on the edge, whether in the capital that narrowly avoided falling or in the cities in the south, or in the border settlements fortunate enough to escape the attacks of demon beasts, were staring at the glowing windows, trying to gather any information they could.
At this point, there was no choice but to understand.
The numbers appearing intermittently in the scenes were probably years. They realized that they were witnessing past events through that window.
And suddenly, they became anxious.
The shining figure of a woman – the facts of the “covenant” spoken by the goddess and the unfortunate events that had befallen the women who seemed to be the princesses of the past, they knew nothing about them.
Among the elderly, there were those who remembered the Mail Religion and the cult. It is now considered a heresy, and even mentioning the name of the goddess is not allowed, but it should not have been a religion to be neglected until forty years ago when the civil war broke out.
The numbers continued to increase and then stopped.
Minus forty.
Their era. Everyone held their breath, feeling a foreboding.
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◇
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A dignified figure. Confidence-filled demeanor. And a spirited laughter.
It was the appearance of the young king before he was called the “Reform King.”
He was King Ramon.
A king worshiped by many, with his portrait hanging in almost every household.
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[Did it move?]
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Before the king in his armor, there was a slender man dressed in loose clothing. He was Hou, King Ramon’s advisor.
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[The priests of the Mail Cult are psychologically cornered. If we provoke them a little, we can make them explode at a time that suits us.]
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He would later be called the “Sage of the Wise King,” and he was also popular as the guardian of scholarship and business, with many portraits of him circulating.
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[However, it seems that the nobles are involved in the rebellion more than expected.]
[Hmph, calling them nobles may sound good, but they must be impoverished noble families on the brink of ruin. So? Who is the ringleader raised by the cultists?]
[Your Majesty’s uncle.]
[What?]
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The young king looked surprised.
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[He didn’t seem like someone with ambitions.]
[The Mail Religion has a longer history in this country than you might think. We have no idea how far its roots extend.]
[I see. Wipe them out!]
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The young king’s face was filled with determination and anger.
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[You cultists who have spread throughout this country! We will crush you and eradicate you. The fate of this country should be entrusted to the rightful royal bloodline.]
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Hou did not seem impressed.
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[Such determination should be delivered before the Royal Knights, in a speech before the battle.]
[I understand!]
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The scene changed.
It seemed to be the audience chamber inside the royal palace.
King Ramon sat on the throne, with Hou standing beside him. In a lower position, a man who resembled the king in appearance but was thinner was kneeling with both arms tied.
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[Uncle, I no longer ask why you sided with the cult. Do you have any final words?]
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King Ramon asked, and the man, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes, spat out his words.
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[You know nothing. The weighty mission imposed on our royal family by the Mail Cult━━]
[That’s enough. Take him away.]
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King Ramon watched the defiant, shouting man with a gaze of pity.
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[The fanatics, they all say the same thing. Amplifying dangers that don’t exist in their delusion, forgetting their cause, and running amok.]
[Such a sad reality.]
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King Ramon signaled to Hou, who was standing by, with a gesture of his finger.
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[My uncle has changed. In the past, he used to be angered by the way the church treated the royal family.]
[Seems so.]
[I’ve heard that among them, there are those who use a suspicious art similar to magic.]
[A kind of magic, indeed.]
[Could there be a technique that manipulates the human heart?]
[Well, I’ve never heard of such a thing.]
[They are secretive.]
[Shall we investigate?]
[No, the fanatics won’t talk. If so――]
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Hou bowed silently and returned to his original position.
King Ramon rose from his throne and addressed his retainers in the hall.
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[Everyone, listen! The Mail Cult’s rebellion has ended in failure. If the goddess they worship truly existed, they should have won. But what’s the reality? They lost the battle and were disgracefully executed. This is the best proof that their goddess is a fake!]
[Making baseless claims.]
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Suddenly, a woman’s voice interjected softly.
The voice wasn’t coming from those reflected in the window, and it seemed no one else could hear it.
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[The Mail Cult, which has belittled the legitimate royal family, monopolized national politics and held onto vested interests, is the evil that pervades this country. Therefore, we must eradicate their very existence and traces!]
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King Ramon declared.
He labeled the Mail Religion as heresy, denounced their worshipped goddess as a false deity. From now on, he forbade any form of worship and ordered the destruction of all temples and statues and the burning of related books.
The images intermittently shown in the shining window were gruesome.
Temples and statues of the goddess being destroyed. Books and paintings gathered and set on fire, with crowds celebrating around it as if at a festival.
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[Even if they’re mere idols.]
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Clerics, presumably, being chased and finally caught. Symbols of the church, star-shaped necklaces, are snatched from them as they are assaulted.
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[Fufu.]
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Those watching the window of light felt a chill down their spines. The voice intruding from the scene, unrelated to its characters, was from the woman who claimed to be a goddess earlier.
Were they witnessing events of the past, and was the goddess also witnessing them right now?
The numerical value increased by thirty.
Minus ten.
An image of King Ramon, now middle-aged, appeared. Known as the “Wise King”, often depicted in paintings. But his face was a mix of frustration and disdain.
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[What’s the meaning of this?]
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In the room King Ramon stormed into, there were maids and guards.
One of the guards kneeled and reported.
Several thieves had sneaked into this room. They have all been captured, but their identities remain unknown.
The room was the newborn princess’s. Looking into the baby’s crib, King Ramon was taken aback.
There was an unfamiliar pattern on the baby’s forehead.
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[What is this mark?]
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One of the maids reported hesitantly.
The thieves seemed to have surrounded the princess and performed some suspicious ritual.
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[A ritual, you say?]
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Once again, King Ramon looked down at his child.
It was a cold gaze, as if he was scrutinizing something.
The scene changed to what appeared to be an office. King Ramon and Hou were present. Although Hou had aged, his face had always looked older, so there wasn’t much difference.
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[The identity of the thieves is the remnants of the Mail Cult. It seems they have stubbornly survived for three decades.]
[Why didn’t we notice the intrusion?]
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There were said to be multiple thieves. The palace is not a place where suspicious black-clad figures can sneak into.
Hou spread out a floor plan of the palace on the desk and pointed to a specific spot.
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[It seems they used a secret passage leading outside. Judging by how quickly they reached the princess’s room, there must also be an inside informant.]
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King Ramon frowned.
From his expression, it was clear he was unaware of such a passage despite being royalty.
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[The leader of the thieves claims the title of “Star Singer.” They supposedly divine the fate of this nation.]
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With a keen interest in his eyes, Hou looked at King Ramon, who cast him a suspicious glance.
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[They would likely choose death over confession.]
[I have some useful individuals under my command.]
[The wizards?]
[I’ve selected the especially talented ones and named them the Black Neck Squad.]
[The elderly do their own thing]
[If necessary, we can expose and attack their stronghold directly. Should we disband them?]
[. . . . . .Do it.]
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The conversation shifted to the princess.
Why had the remnants of the Mail Cult appeared now and targeted the newborn princess?
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[If it were for revenge, they would target me or you.]
[It seems they see the princess as a savior.]
[Savior?]
[Likely a new object of their faith.]
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The mark on the princess’s forehead could not be removed. However, the baby didn’t seem to be in pain, and she appeared healthy.
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[According to them, it’s a seal to protect the princess. It probably also has symbolic significance.]
[Troublesome!]
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Having the mark of a vanquished foe on his daughter was nothing less than a humiliation.
Seeing the agitated king, Hou lightly suggested,
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[Should we perhaps fake the assassination of the princess?]
[What do you mean?]
[It’s been thirty years since the “Cult War”. The people’s vigilance against the Mail Cult has naturally waned. I’ve heard that similar religions are even emerging in the frontiers.]
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But, if the surviving members of the Mail Cult were to assassinate the princess here, the people’s anger would surely boil over again.
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[Isn’t that a double-edged sword?]
[What do you mean? If need be, we can explain that it was a measure to protect the princess from the heretics. On the other hand, if rumors spread, then those spreading them can be labeled as the cult’s informants.]
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King Ramon made a decision.
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[I have no intention of bearing the stigma of child murder.]
[Then?]
[But we must completely sever ties with those heretics. She is the “Child of Misfortune.” She could bring disaster to this nation.]
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The king issued a ruthless command.
It was to pretend that the princess had been assassinated, force her to wear a mask, and banish her from the royal city.
Those who looked at the glowing window were dumbfounded.
Many remembered the princess assassination incident from ten years ago, the “Fanatics’ Rebellion.” At that time, they deeply mourned and felt intense anger towards the atrocious acts of the cultists.
And a few months ago, when it was suddenly announced that the princess was alive, they rejoiced innocently.
They took the royal family’s statement at face value.
The numbers were increasing one by one.
Minus nine, minus eight, minus seven. . . . . .
It was a record of the princess’s growth.
With the mask on, her body grew little by little.
The young child who got out of the bed began to sit in a chair and gaze at the scenery outside.
Minus six, minus five, minus four. . . . . .
In their hearts, people were screaming.
Stop it. Stop it.
Alone in a humble room.
The masked girl is looking out the window.
Minus three, minus two, minus one.
She just gazes at the scenery.
Stop it. Please stop!
If the earlier shown “covenant” between the goddess and the king and the tragedy of the six women are historical facts, then this girl, confined and masked, should have been the one to risk her life to save this country from its current crisis.
And yet, this treatment. . . . . .
The number reaches zero.
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