234. Religious Discourse
Even if La Merthion is called the City of Light, it’s impossible for a city to lack alleys and streets. Especially in a city that’s a hub for trade, smuggling and black markets are inevitable.
From cheap drugs to slave trafficking, La Merthion’s nights are more dazzling than its days.
The underground dealings under the Empire’s watchful eyes had grown to the level of the Duke’s direct trade guilds.
And the core driving force behind this growth, no matter what anyone says, was the slave trade. While slavery was strictly prohibited by international law, even the serfs of the Dane Kingdom were no different from slaves under the guise of a caste system. The Empire’s highly modernized industrial and economic foundations required cheap labor.
So, the Empire doesn’t reject slavery. That’s what Iron Side said with a smile.
“So, you’re saying this is justified?”
“Of course not. It might seem horrifying to you, madam. I understand. Cultural differences, you know.”
The woman smiled softly as she spoke. She pointed to a direction where a burly man with chains around his neck walked with his head down.
His body was covered in scars from whippings, and beneath the heavy shackles, drops of blood from his torn flesh clung like sticky threads.
“They’ll probably spend the rest of their lives carrying heavy loads for some guild. Maybe they’ll become rowers on a ship, or perhaps they’ll end up in some factory assembling magic lamps.”
“What are you even…?”
“Or maybe, they’ll be used as ingredients at some noble’s happy banquet.”
At those chilling words, Freya stiffened. The woman’s expression turned cold and sharp. She growled,
“There are pigs like that. Pigs who not only want to fatten themselves but also extend their lives. If all it takes is the blood of slaves, they’ll gladly throw thousands of gold coins. My lord doesn’t consider such creatures human. And frankly, they’re no longer human.”
“High nobles often appear in public. Even just for ceremonies, they can’t avoid being seen. And if rumors spread that they live unnaturally long, the Inquisition will start investigating immediately.”
“Of course they would. The cleaners of human society wouldn’t let such trash slide, would they? But madam, some trash looks like a jewel box before you open it. Very glamorous, valuable, and you wouldn’t dare touch it… a pretty jewel box.”
The knight flinched at her words. He cautiously studied her face, trying to grasp her meaning.
“Are you saying… the Duke…?”
“Shh, that’s not a word to be spoken lightly, is it?”
“…I must report this to His Majesty.”
“And then what, Sir Knight? Do you think the entire Empire would sit idly by if a nation from the Eastern Kingdom attacked the Duke? Are you planning to drag the whole country into war? Think carefully. The Dane Kingdom may not be a weak nation, but it can’t survive a full-scale war with the Empire.”
The knight looked at Iron Side with sunken eyes. He remained silent for a moment.
The Dane Kingdom is undoubtedly a rapidly growing power. But it can’t shake off the stigma of being a ‘regional’ power.
A full-scale war with the Empire? Even if the entire Eastern Kingdom united its forces, it wouldn’t be easy. On this continent, the only ones who could stand against the Empire’s full military might were, at best, the Sultan of Kirzat.
But after a moment of silence, the knight spoke.
“Then why did you call us here?”
“Huh?”
“Sir Sernerd must have had a reason to summon us. You’re not revealing your country’s secrets just because you’re eccentric. What do you want from us?”
“Don’t misunderstand. My lord wanted to settle this matter among the Dukes. You were called here because the Knight of the Round Table requested it. I’m not fond of involving foreigners in our affairs either.”
The woman shrugged. She watched the line of departing slaves for a moment before speaking.
“The Knight of the Round Table said to tell you this: ‘We need friends who can look at injustice and share our anger. People who value righteousness over reputation and face.’ Tell me, are you prepared to go to war to cut out the Empire’s rotten flesh?”
“….”
The knight remained silent. Personal morality and national war carry different weights.
The resources needed for war, the blood of civilians and national strength consumed by war, the Dane Kingdom’s status after a potential defeat. It could become a vassal state, or perhaps the kingdom itself might disappear.
The Eastern Kingdom is a gathering of beasts. A union of hungry beasts eager to tear out the throats of their neighbors and devour their flesh. The only thing dividing them is a flimsy piece of paper called a ‘peace agreement.’
Would that small piece of paper save them after the Dane Kingdom’s national power was completely shattered? Probably not. There are countless ways to pressure the kingdom without even mobilizing military force.
But… but, what would King Vicente and his Knights of the Round Table think upon hearing this? In the face of another country’s slavery, the Dukes’ indifference, and the corruption of some high nobles.
The Church won’t step in until everything is clearly proven. The Church of the Temple of the Gods maintains complete neutrality in political matters, and unproven corruption could be seen as mere political scheming.
“When His Majesty first ascended the throne, I was there too. After cutting down the corrupted former king and his knights, who had fallen to demons and wraiths, and after winning the battle against the undead attacking Altberth, he made a declaration.”
After the tragedy known as the Altberth Incident, standing on the corpse of a giant in the half-destroyed plaza of Altberth, he shouted:
“Live every moment opposing injustice, and even when you fall from exhaustion, close your eyes with righteousness in your heart.”
The vow Vicente made during his coronation, the ‘King Knight’s Vow,’ carried a weight different from the usual knightly oaths.
[Even if the smallest voice cries for help in the face of evil, we will step forward first.]
King Vicente’s vow wasn’t just about personal morality and promises. It was a call for active response. Surrounding kingdoms expressed ‘grave concern’ over this. A pledge of active military support could easily be interpreted as a justification for aggressive military demonstrations or even wars of invasion.
But no matter what schemers might think, the Knights of the Round Table took the king’s vow at face value. From his days as a prince to his ascension to the throne, Vicente’s consistent attitude and shining chivalry proved his sincerity.
So now, what Iron Side is saying represents the perspective of foreign nations on the Dane Kingdom—
“National power and interests are secondary to righteousness.”
“It’s not something someone asking for support should say, but it’s hard to call him a good king. A king’s first duty should be to protect the lives of his people.”
“A king’s duty is indeed that. But a king…”
“The morality is not like that. A sovereign should not just look after those who follow, but should be able to present a vision to them. They are not walking together, but leading the way. How dare you lecture us on the art of kingship? You, who choose your leaders through politics and trickery?”
“One might think only the Empire engages in politics.”
This is why cultural differences are annoying. Iron Side grumbled and laughed. She looked at the knight with a mocking, perhaps even admiring smile.
“Blind fools. The only thing better about them than fanatics is that their distinction between good and evil is somewhat reasonable. Well, our lord likes such fools, so I have no choice but to follow.”
Follow me, I’ll show you the Empire’s secrets. Iron Side said with a chin gesture and entered a dark alley between the streets.
* * *
Passing through the foul-smelling underground waterway with sticky air clinging to them, Iron Side quietly spoke as they walked through the winding paths leading to the city’s center.
“From what we’ve gathered, five cities have ended up like this.”
She shook off the blood clinging to her blade as she walked. Half-rotted corpses occasionally emerged from the mud below, attacking them. They continued walking, engaging in sporadic skirmishes.
“Currently, five areas have been confirmed. Five key cities entangled with the Empire’s central trade ports and routes have ended up like this. We don’t know how many more cities are in this state, but according to our lord’s judgment, at least ten more cities are secretly corrupting.”
“Is your lord the Emperor?”
“Hah, hardly.”
Iron Side chuckled.
“He’s someone who even gave up the throne. He wouldn’t covet such a position.”
“Why didn’t you request an inquisition?”
“One or two cities could be handled that way. Maybe even more. But we can’t cut off the head. If an inquisition is executed, the mastermind behind this will abandon the city.”
And the abandoned city will burn at the hands of fanatics. Along with the innocent people living there. Iron Side looked at Abel with gloomy eyes.
“The Inquisition Office is not a group of absolute good. It’s not a tool to be used freely without conditions or losses. Rather, it’s a blade that must swallow blood, sustaining itself only on blood and flesh. Look at the day and the streets of this city. A woman out to buy apples for her sick daughter. A young man working as a porter to care for his elderly mother. The city is full of such people. Now, who is corrupt? Who is evil, and who is good? How can you distinguish, and who dares to judge?”
“The Inquisition Office’s investigators would, after all, deal with demons and their followers without expecting rewards, risking their lives.”
“Hah, of course. Don’t try to understand the fanatics’ mindset. Their reward is sufficient in the heavens above, meaning they don’t spare a shred of emotion for earthly matters.”
A city subjected to an inquisition inevitably produces victims. The Heretics are those who wouldn’t hesitate to create dozens or hundreds of victims over the slightest suspicion.
If evil can be eradicated in the process, the damage is just a secondary factor.
If rotten flesh must be cut away to remove a festering wound, they would pick up the surgical scissors without hesitation.
If such an event occurs in a central trade city, densely populated with both residents and travelers… The “Merlin Port Walker Incident” in Phaeirn would be considered a joke in comparison.
Countless people would be hung on stakes, most of them innocent. The city’s administration would be paralyzed, and the blood and tears of the good would form rivers. Above it all, the blood-soaked banner of justice would flutter. Against the backdrop of a burning city…
Even if the Elector and the high nobles are corrupt, an inquisition cannot be hastily requested. From Iron Side’s perspective, the inquisition and the Church’s power are merely the last resort, the lesser evil. If the best is unattainable, at least the next best option must be considered.
“Anyway, our lord is currently investigating the five cities that were revealed first. The other cities are controlled by nobles who can be pressured by power. But here in La Merthion, it’s under the Elector’s jurisdiction. It’s not easy to touch.”
“So that’s why you called us? What can we do?”
“Legitimacy.”
-Crunch!
Another corpse floated up from the waterway. Iron Side, without changing her expression, struck the neck of the charging corpse. Thick, rotten blood splattered on the blade.
“Legitimacy to show the Empire’s corruption. Proof that the Church of the Temple of the Gods doesn’t need to maintain authority over secular kingdoms. That’s what we need. The will and action for self-purification. And military support from the Dane Kingdom.”
“Do you think that makes sense? The Church of the Temple of the Gods hasn’t interfered in the politics of secular kingdoms for hundreds of years. If our kingdom helps the Empire’s self-purification, what does the Empire gain?”
“Dane’s state religion is Shield, and the Empire also believes in Shield. Shield’s cathedral is located in the Imperial Capital, and the Empire’s knights bear the characteristics of Shield’s Temple Knights. Separation of religion and politics? Do you really think that’s possible under strict standards? If this situation is resolved relying on religious authority, do you think the Church’s influence in the Empire’s politics can be completely neutered in the future?”
Iron Side said this while gripping the waterway’s handle. She pulled the rusted handle lightly and spoke softly.
“Gods should stay in the heavens, and that’s enough. Forever, as mere idols. Religion should be a luxury item, never a necessity of life. Human beliefs should be built on individual will, not divine will. The intervention of an absolute being’s will in individual morality inevitably leads to tragedy.”
The door opened.
Before them was a corpse. The nauseating stench of blood, which had been faintly lingering, now hit them with tangible density.
The path leading to the underground waterway was used by the city’s high nobles to dispose of corpses. Corpses, still oozing fresh blood, were hung on hooks and displayed.
“Ugh…!”
Freya teared up and covered her nose. To the goddess of spring, flowers, and life, the pungent stench of blood and death was unbearably repulsive.
But Abel, the knight, and Iron Side calmly observed the scene. They were all accustomed to such sights.
“Human evil must be judged by human hands. That is our lord’s will, and our will as well. We are Iron Side. Iron is the symbol of trust and victory, and we are the steel forged in the deepest places. Report this to your kingdom’s king.”
“What do you gain? If we purify this city, the city’s control will naturally return to our kingdom. So what do you get in return for giving up the Elector’s territory?”
“Persecution, justice, legitimacy, face, and… power.”
If the Dane Kingdom publicly condemns the Elector and starts a war, the Emperor will inevitably intervene.
However, the Emperor’s main forces are concentrated on the western expedition, so those who step forward will be the legions of other Electors.
Electors do not invest troops and capital in wars without gain. If the Dane Kingdom’s legitimacy is clear, they will not rashly start an attack.
And if there’s an Elector willing to bear all the penalties and support the Emperor…
“Unexpected variables make it easier to distinguish friend from foe.”
With the Dane Kingdom’s intervention, Dane secures a massive trade route leading to the continent’s center.
The Crown Prince can identify and gather the Electors influenced by the Emperor.
Erbe can buy time. Time for the Electors supported by the Emperor to intervene in the Principality.
And the Empire. By having the secular kingdom carry out the persecution of corruption, it can reduce the Church’s authority.
It’s an operation where everyone can seek their own gains.
“Operation name, Wildfire. Prepared by your Knight of the Round Table, my lord.”
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