Read Novel Full Chapter 300
Chapter 300
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Chapter 300 – Pathology of the Saint
There are no large cities north of Hagwai, only scattered farmhouses and small villages. There is no one to block the Griffon’s advance across the nearly flat snowfields. The current opposing forces are holed up in the fort or imperial capital, and the troops on the move are on the other side of the fort. Unless they are mages with the ability to fly, there is no way they can catch up with us.
“Isn’t the Republic planning on sending troops against the Empire right now?”
“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible for a while. We have managed to contain the civil war, but the chain of command is in shreds, and our equipment is in tatters. The guard force is also half destroyed. At best, we can only deal with the invading enemy, and we don’t have the strength to invade the Empire. We couldn’t leave Byugi, the witch of the fortress who united the “Apostles of the Saint,” alone, so we decided to send out a strike force… a short time ago.”
Even if there were only two hundred Apostles of the Saint, if there were two thousand Imperial troops on the way, it would not be possible to deal with them with just the initial strike force. If 2,200 enemy troops were to be encircled in the solid Fort Ilm, nearly 10,000 troops would be needed. The current Republic would probably not be able to muster such numbers.
“If the Empire’s 2,000 troops were not reinforcements but were sent to subjugate the Empire’s saint, the story would be different. It would certainly be a mud fight between the three powers.”
I think this possibility is not very likely. We now know that the emperor has no intention of accepting a humiliating peace treaty. If that is the case, then the Apostles of the Saint is a wedge between the hostile neighboring countries. They will take advantage of it whenever possible.
“It’s a mud fight either way.”
Ecla-san shook her head and gave a self-deprecating smile.
“According to the original plan, the subjugation force was five hundred, including the support force from the Adventurers’ Guild. That was the limit of what could be extracted now. If the attackers were two and a half times the size of the enemy, there was no way to push them. The plan was to avoid a direct confrontation and cut off the fort’s supplies.”
Just before the confrontation, there was a possibility that the enemy might have ten times as many reinforcements.
“If we have to reorganize our forces now, it will take a long time, and we won’t be able to launch the offensive until spring.”
That’s a long time to wait. But in this case, time is also an advantage for the Republic.
“This could be a good move. During the winter, it would be impossible to resupply enough to keep 2,200 under siege for any length of time. Given the terrain and conditions, even 200 would be difficult. If we just lay siege to them, cut off their supplies, and let them dry out, it’s only a matter of time before they destroy themselves.”
“The problem is that the other side is an unknown opponent. I know that Takifu is also from the same hometown as that saint over there. Please tell me what’s going on. I don’t know anything about the saint’s condition right now.”
“I am an amateur in the field of magic. How can I know what Ecla-san doesn’t know?”
“No, I have a general idea of what was done. That’s not what I want to know.”
“Eh?”
“The holy spirit blessing that the saint possesses was rewritten with the spirit magic of the northern elves. The reflection and repatriation are directed to the person in question. That’s what I heard from Miss Mir.”
“I also heard from her that if someone directed malice, hostility, or murderous intent, it would be returned to the saint, and she would stop moving.”
“But now the saint is moving well. On the contrary, I have heard that she is like a true saint, full of mercy and kindness. That’s what I want to know. I don’t know what she hit you with and what she got back.”
No, I don’t know that either. If she doesn’t come at us, it’s okay to leave her alone. Even if she goes crazy, she’s not really hurting us. Especially if she is like a real saint.
When I said this to Ecla-san, she looked at me very reluctantly. So, the problem is not the state of the former saint but rather the cause that led her to that state.
“Before we go any further, I’d like to confirm something. Was what the former saint advocated accepted in the place where you were?”
I was a little unsure how to answer Ecla-san’s question. I was asked the same question at Loringen-shi’s place but just brushed it off.
“Oh, Loringen-shi mentioned it. I didn’t really understand it myself. No, I understand it in theory. But I can’t read what the Saint says about it.”
What Byugi, the saint who effectively rules Fort Ilm, is spreading is “equality before God.”
Although I understand what she is trying to say, it is surprisingly empty and meaningless as an invocation in this world. Of course, such a thing would never be accepted by the Empire, the kingdom, the tribal union, or the Republic. There is no benefit to accepting it before agreeing or disagreeing.
“Well… it depends on the country, but if it was an idealistic idea, would it have been accepted to some extent?”
“What about the country where Takifu was?”
“It was a country where religion and politics were kept separate, so they did not use the name of God, but equality was the national policy.”
“Really? And there was no opposition?”
“Basically, it was a country where there were only commoners. In such a society, equality was not an issue that could be openly opposed.”
So, I was wrong. I thought that if there was a problem with the former saint’s slogan, it was under God. It depends on what kind of God, I guess.
“I see.”
“Did you find out anything?”
“Oh yes, I did. At least I was reminded that where you were, the number of uneducated people was extremely small.”
When you put it like that, I’m not so sure. But I think the meaning of “uneducated” is different here and in Japan. In pre-modern societies with low literacy rates and no compulsory education, when people say they “know nothing,” the “nothing” is not the amount of knowledge or literacy, but literally “nothing.”
Even in the Republic, the Council was aware of the danger. The main thing that alarmed them was the fact that a strange armed group had taken up residence in their land. But from the Empire’s point of view, it’s the subject matter that should be considered dangerous. If such things spread, uneducated people would think that as long as they chant God’s name, commoners and slaves could have the same things as nobles.
Well, that’s true, isn’t it? I can at least somewhat understand what Loringen-shi referred to as “a deadly disease that will devour the nation if it spreads to the people.
“What do you think we should do, Ecla-san?”
“As a member of the Republic Council, my opinion is the same as yours. I think we should just leave it alone. There is nothing we can do, and even if we did, it would be meaningless. If we let them go down and die in the field on their own, we can get rid of them easily. But only if you ask me what to do about it.”
Oddly enough, Ecla-san looked at us and seemed a little sad.
“I want to help the witch Byugi.”