Chapter 18: Fantasy National Rules
Ise was an era when the ancient gods favored different races, blah blah blah…
I nodded absentmindedly while letting Priest Sertell’s dull old story go in one ear and out the other. Reviewing a story I already knew sapped my motivation. So I only picked out the important parts.
For example, the basis on which Priest Sertell judged that the power of Ise was involved in this incident.
“If you look closely, you’ll see a hazy, film-like thing plastered over the horses’ eyes.”
Priest Sertell pointed at the docile horses and stated with 100% conviction. Of course, to me with modern common sense, it seemed like flimsy evidence. Though when I heard him say it and looked, I did see it.
A thin, membrane-like film was visible over the horses’ pupils. But it seemed a bit of a stretch to definitively conclude it was the involvement of a divine being. My conclusion after petting the horses was:
“Isn’t it just some disease they caught?”
As if he expected as much, Priest Sertell nodded firmly and responded:
“It’s something the remnants of Ise commonly do.”
“Pardon?”
“Realizing the church can track the unbridled use of Ise’s power and magic, they deliberately disguise it to look like a natural phenomenon. Their magic is evolving to conceal itself in ways like this, rather than producing overt effects.”
“Ah…I see…”
Come to think of it, no matter how enlightened the people of this era were, they lived by different common sense and social norms than me. Primitive and barbaric, to put it politely. And trying to persuade someone with a different worldview was futile.
Even if I talked about microscopic organisms called bacteria that infiltrate the body and overpower the immune system if not seen… what kind of response would I get?
A “tsk tsk this ignoramus is spouting nonsense, yeah those must be the evil devils’ doings~” or something along those lines would be obvious. Of course, it’s possible this really was caused by actual magic.
But I think the cultists elevating such things to the level of magic or miracles from the gods deserved to perish. What’s romantic about a spell that coats animal pupils with a membrane to dull their senses?
I genuinely respected Priest Sertell’s ability to wring romance out of things like this, calling it the power of the old gods of Ise or the remnants of Ise. Aside from my other complaints… In the eyes of the people, the intellectual of this world was Priest Sertell, not me.
To align with the medieval Ise standard, I needed to follow Priest Sertell’s opinion. I clutched my sword hilt like a barbarian and glanced over the horses.
“So what should we do? Can we just dispose of the horses?”
“Indiscriminate killing corrupts the human heart as well. Here…we must employ the miracle bestowed by Lux Stella.”
My reaction to the word ‘miracle’ could only be lukewarm. Since the first magic I’d ever encountered was so tawdry, my expectations had naturally lowered. At best, it would probably just involve sprinkling some white powder while chanting prayers for recovery.
But when Sertell rummaged inside his robe and pulled out a crucifix necklace, my thinking changed. The enigmatic inscriptions engraved on the crucifix glimmered with an azure fluorescence.
Gripping the necklace tightly in his left hand, Priest Sertell murmured a small prayer.
“Lux Stella, you who drove Ise into twilight and ushered in the dawn of Inse. Please expel the lingering sunset of the bygone era with your starlight.”
It was a pitch-black night sky obscured even by clouds, the dying embers providing the brightest illumination. But the moment the crucifix necklace emanated light, the entire campsite was bathed in azure radiance, even tinging the campfire bluish.
A gentle starlight, brilliant enough to transform the surroundings yet not dazzlingly bright.
When this mysterious light touched the horses’ eyes, I finally understood why Priest Sertell had insisted it was Ise’s power at work. The hazy membrane layered over the horses’ retinas melted away like dripping candle wax before evaporating entirely in the blink of an eye.
I hurriedly looked around to see everyone kneeling with hands clasped, muttering fervently.
“This is the starlight of Inse…”
“The miracle is with us. Proof that we act rightly.”
Sir Topa, the coward Jon, even the barely surviving soldiers – all were engrossed in whispering. Only I failed to conceal my bewilderment. No…to be honest, if I’d known a divine being could truly exert influence, I wouldn’t have entertained such blasphemous thoughts.
Unable to hide my sense of grievance, I looked to Priest Sertell again. The plump-faced Priest Sertell met my gaze only after tucking the necklace back inside his robe.
“I see the devout faith blossoming richly in Young Master Narva’s eyes.”
…He gave a satisfied smile.
***
Originally, during the ambush, I had planned to use the draft horses pulling the carriage as a tactical temporary defensive structure.
A tactical temporary defensive structure refers roughly to livestock with the noble self-sacrificing loyalty to give their lives for their master. Not that I was saying the servants who abandoned me were worse than animals.
Horses are far more skittish animals than one might think. If they’d just been tied to stakes, they would have panicked and bolted long ago were it not for Ise’s power. But the sovereigns over all creatures, humans, are different from mere beasts.
If I had put iron collars on the servants’ necks, would they have fled? I don’t think so.
I once heard a famous saying related to leadership: Don’t blame your subordinates, blame yourself. I resolved not to make the mistake commonly made by those in power.
To do that, I had to find the cause in myself. The conclusion was simple. The servants’ failure to perform was not due to their cowardice, but my own oversight in not putting iron collars on their necks from the start.
If I had, they would have diligently attended to me like the few surviving horses from the previous ambush. However, regretting the past is useless. I decided to let them go without a shred of reluctance.
“Let’s gather them up and cremate them. Leaving them to be eaten by beasts will stink up our sleeping quarters.”
“They were the disloyal wretches who dared abandon you, Young Master. Does it matter if beasts devour them or not, just leaving them would suffice.”
Sir Topa felt my choice would waste precious time and manpower. The servants’ disloyalty was likely another factor in his displeasure. But scrutinized carefully, they were people who died because of me.
Since I failed to take care of them in life, I should at least do so in death. In a composed tone, I gently overrode Sir Topa’s objection.
“There is no reason they should not receive even the minimum respect in death.”
“…If that is your will, Young Master. But should we not stay prepared for another ambush?”
“It will be fine for a while.”
My enigmatic response full of certainty kept Sir Topa from objecting further. As our group began retrieving the bodies, the priests, who were religious by title, could not simply stand idly by either.
“If Inse cannot accept them, then at what juncture will they be welcomed? Young Master, allow us to lend a hand as well.”
Their sturdily broad shoulders and backsides made them look less like priests and more like hired laborers from some village. Watching them move multiple corpses alone gave a rough idea of the physiques hidden beneath those inky black robes.
Yet even amidst everyone else silently toiling away, there was one who faithfully voiced his complaints.
“Sigh. What’s so great about these guys that we have to suffer like this?”
It was our John.
My esteemed status, coupled with my tender age and lack of strength, prevented me from dragging the corpses myself. So John did my share while groaning and whining incessantly.
At one point he even stopped hauling corpses to rub his lower back, glancing my way.
“Y…Young Master…my back really hurts…”
“My heart aches as well.”
“Pardon? Why does yours, Young Master?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to send you to join them, rather than leave you suffering a sore back?”
The moment our gazes slid slightly away, John caught sight of the individuals peacefully lying together, discord and conflicts of life forgotten. Baring his protruding belly, he broke into a bright smile.
“If I’d known, I would have trained my lower back muscles more diligently!”
“Oh really now.”
After piling the corpses indiscriminately with the firewood and setting it ablaze, we could finally rest. The crimson flames filled the void left by the blood that had drained from the bodies. For a while, we remained silent watching the flames flicker strenuously.
The first to break the silence was Sir Topa. He quietly gazed at the bloodstains spattered on his surcoat.
“Young Master, I shall take this opportunity to teach you horseback riding.”
“Now?”
“Yes. So that even if I fail, you may still flee.”
He had clearly felt the limits of his abilities keenly in this ambush. Sir Topa harbored the strange certainty that he would not survive to complete this mission. Knowing the circumstances, I could only feel grateful.
“I will learn horseback riding, but do not worry about perishing.”
“…Is there something else?”
“It will be safe for a while. For a while, at least.”
I spoke while watching the priests silently clasping their hands in prayer.
***
As expected, the road to the monastery was safe.
Not just the ambushers, but even ferocious beasts instinctively avoided our group. I spent this time productively receiving Sir Topa’s horseback riding lessons. And while doing so, I approached Priest Sertell to ask him about various things.
“I have heard the old gods of Ise bestowed countless miracles…magic upon those they favored.”
“Hohoho. Young Master Narva seems quite interested in Ise.”
Priest Sertell wore a kindly, plump smile that emanated a cozy atmosphere. Until he suddenly hardened his expression, that is.
“But first, not the old gods of Ise, the devils of Inse.”
“Ah…”
Honestly, I wanted to retort ‘what’s the difference?’ but held my tongue. Ah, it’s different. Oh, it’s different. I understood it could be an important issue for the priests. Ultimately, whether devil or old god was not the crucial point.
“What I wish to know is whether Inse’s god Lux Stella bestows such miracles as well.”
It was an almost mundane question, yet I could not help but ask. The brief ‘what is this kid on about’ look Priest Sertell sent me indicated he likely thought the same. But being the patient priest he was, he quickly recomposed himself.
“Lux Stella of course, and most of the devils categorize their favored into five ranks. I shall use one of the devils the church is tracking as an example – Sanguio Silva, estimated to be ensconced deep within this region’s forests.”
Priest Sertell recited what the church could publicly disclose – the devotion and criteria required to receive miracles, and the miracles bestowed upon meeting them.
“Sanguio Silva demands human blood. I cannot divulge the exact rituals, but it is said that by satisfying Sanguio Silva, one receives diverse blessings within her domain. At the first rank, one’s scent of blood apparently changes.”
The devil Sanguio Silva was rather minor, but the miracles from other gods differed – bringing down lightning on battlefields, doubling one’s lifespan, and so on, though he refrained from mentioning which god granted what. Yet that was enough.
Unable to conceal my rising anticipation, I posed the critical question:
“Then what does Lux Stella bestow?”
“Lux Stella.”
Priest Sertell continued with a face full of pride.
“Grants longevity free of disease.”
“…..”
