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Chapter 5: She Used to…
<Holy Kingdom of Qualia’s Southern Assembly, St. Amritate Cathedral>
TWO young women were conversing within the provincial assembly hall that seemed a little too bejeweled and extravagant to have been built by people who proudly claimed to be the humble servants of God.
“Why are you doing this?” asked Saint Soalina of Blooming Burials. She was the Saint who’d supposedly lost to Slurping Witch Erakino during the Northern Witch Disturbance. “Why…are you doing this?”
Soalina asked the girl dancing in front of her this question for what felt like the hundredth time.
During her battle with the Witch, Soalina realized she’d made a fatal mistake at the last second and was certain death was finally upon her. However, contrary to her hopes that she’d found peace in eternal slumber at last, fate still seemed to have plans for her. She eventually regained her senses and realized she’d traveled to the unfamiliar southern province with the girl in front of her.
E̊ ñ u̇m̀а
Soalina couldn’t help but repeat her inquiry. What was this girl enjoying so much? Or what was she about to enjoy?
The girl twirled and spun throughout the assembly hall, dancing to her own tune despite only one person watching her little show.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
…Soalina was about to repeat her query, when the dancing girl finally stopped and spun toward her with the same flare as a clown addressing a child.
“Because this is what you wanted, Sainty Soalina~♪!”
This girl was the creature known as Erakino, the Slurping Witch.
Ёn um̌_а̌ . і̀ d̂
“You claim…this is what I wanted?” Soalina asked, incredulous.
“Absolutely, Sainty~♪!” The Witch grinned like she was smiling at someone she’d been friends with for years.
Soalina had been deprived of her will by Erakino’s special ability, but her consciousness was returned to her by none other than Erakino. Well, only a piece of her was returned…
Soalina was only allowed to speak her thoughts. Erakino still bound her mind, and she couldn’t even wiggle her toes of her own volition without the Witch’s consent. She still didn’t know the nature of the wicked little girl’s ability, but it was obviously capable of binding someone’s mind if certain conditions were met.
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Soalina quickly learned she couldn’t take hostile action against Erakino, seek help, leak any information regarding Erakino, or do anything that would give away something was wrong. A wide range of locks had been imposed upon Soalina, and she was compelled to comply by a mysterious force her Divine Protection had no effect on.
Soalina was no different from a bird trapped in a cage. Its beautiful birdsong might charm people, but its song is nothing more than the lament of a creature deprived of its freedom.
Е n um̄ã
And so, Soalina put forth her query time and time again—in order to discern Erakino’s thoughts. To better understand what kind of convictions and beliefs the Witch was acting on. To somehow understand what made no sense to her.
“This is not what I want,” Soalina asserted. “You’re just trying to draw this country into the vortex of war.”
“Am I the one drawing y’all in, or is this all happening at the behest of an entirely different creature? The world is just full of mysteries, ain’t it?!” Erakino cackled.
“If nothing else, our kingdom was peaceful until you showed up,” Soalina countered.
“Ha! There’s no guarantee it would’ve remained that way, Sainty. This world’s gonna be embroiled in war sooner or later. The most important question is, will you live or die when it happens.”
Countless cities and lives were lost to Erakino and her Northern Disturbance. Although the population in the northern province was significantly smaller than the other provinces due to the cold, inhospitable climate, that didn’t make the loss any less significant.
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Everything Erakino said was contradictory. She almost seemed to imply that the Northern Disturbance and everything evil she did wasn’t her fault.
But there was absolutely no denying that the girl standing before Soalina was evil incarnate. Who could deny it when the evidence of her wickedness was strewn around them?
“Then, by that logic, what necessitated this atrocity before us?” Soalina asked grimly.
The assembly hall was newly decorated in fresh blood, entrails, and gory body parts. That was all that remained of the clergymen who’d been disparaging Soalina and Erakino only a few hours prior. Now they were being welcomed into the loving arms of their holy God on the other side.
Erakino broke out in a wide grin and resumed gracefully dancing through the hall again, splattering crimson blood all over the pristine white cathedral walls. Soalina watched her without batting an eye.
“Hmm, the need to roll out a Hollywood-style red carpet?” Erakino giggled. “This room would totally be rated R, huh? R for violence and gore! Man, I’d watch that!”
W̆ е̇ ḃn̂ о v ѐ l̇ Ё nu m̈ а̄
The Saint didn’t answer her, partially because she barely understood what Erakino was talking about, but also because she knew full well that a wrongly worded response would only please the wicked child. Still, just because she didn’t feel like replying didn’t mean she could stop the Witch from rambling on.
“Say, Sainty, were these old fogies necessary for this kingdom to run?” Erakino asked with a tilt of her head.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Soalina’s emotions showed ever so slightly with a twitch of her eyebrows.
“All souls are born into this world with a role to play. Everyone fulfills their role under the guidance of the Holy God Arlos,” Soalina returned dryly.
“Uhh, did my question actually register in that pretty lil’ head of yours? Are you dodging the question with a politically correct response?” Erakino asked in a mocking tone. She sidled up close to Soalina and peered into her downcast eyes to provoke her.
Soalina frantically suppressed the contradictions within herself as she hid how she actually felt behind a sedate argument.
Еn û m á
“The Veiled Saint is still here in the Southern Province. What you are doing will eventually be exposed, and the other two Saints—the Scribe Saint and the Mystic Saint—tasked with protecting the Holy Capital of Qualiane will see through your wicked schemes.”
“Aaaaaaaaah, I don’t give a rat’s ass about any of that right now, ’kay? None of that’s got anythin’ to do with cute little ol’ me. C’mon, Sainty, tell me what you really think,” Erakino insisted as she waved off Soalina’s trite response.
“What I really think?”
Soalina’s lips formed a pouty moue in response to Erakino’s words that seemed to poke right at the crux of the issue without relenting.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Let me make it easy for you. Were they people who deserved to die?” Erakino persisted.
Soalina was rendered speechless by the realization that was the one question she least wanted to confront.
E̊ṅu m̊ а̄
“Were they pariahs that made everybody else’s lives more difficult?” the Witch asked, her finger thrust toward a particularly fatty pile of flesh and guts. “Tell me the truth, Sainty Soalina. That’s an order.”
Soalina didn’t have any control over her own consciousness. Her ability to speak her opinion at the moment happened only because Erakino allowed the bird in the cage to sing. Ultimately, she had no means of disobeying her master’s orders.
“They abused their power for the illegal accumulation of wealth. They mistreated the young boys and girls who attended church in ways that are too obscene to utter. They were entirely unfit to lead the people.”
It was all too easy to expose the contradictions within the Holy Kingdom of Qualia when compelled by the mysterious power Erakino held over her. These were dark secrets Soalina never would’ve voiced before.
“I see, I see. Then wouldn’t you say it was a good thing…they died?”
“…It’s a good thing.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Soalina’s face, which she’d kept schooled into a perfect mask of calm, distorted for the first time. Not from anger toward the Witch. No, it was from frustration with herself for not being able to do anything about the heinous crimes of those in power when she bore the grand title of Saint. And even greater frustration over the fact that the grinning Witch before her brought them to justice instead…
“You oughta be jumping with joy, then!” Erakino exclaimed with a little jump. “At the very least, no one else will have to cry in the dark about the abuse they suffered at their hands. If this ain’t justice, I don’t know what is! We did the right thing, Sainty~♪!”
Could this really be called justice? They’d simply killed a few pariahs that would get in their way.
Qualia’s Southern Province was blessed with fertile land and a booming economy. Corruption among the clergy boomed in proportion to its economic success. Most of the high-ranking clergy, starting with the Cardinals, had a hand in illegal activities, and their cunningness, left unchecked by their lack of fear of God’s wrath, kept them from ever getting caught with their pants down.
They had clearly gone against Qualia’s established laws, but they couldn’t be judged and punished without evidence. That was what it meant for there to be a governing state and laws.
Erakino had overturned the system with a single swing of her arm. She overturned it by force, violence, malice, carelessness, and simply being naïve…
Еnumá
As she said, many people would likely be saved as a result of the tragedy that had happened in the cathedral today. They would be undoubtedly saved by it.
…What was the purpose of justice, then?
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
What had happened to the ideals Soalina believed in?
“I can’t even begin to fathom what you are trying to do, Erakino.”
With her convictions shattering around her like glass, the resentful voices of those she’d failed to save became auditory hallucinations that whispered haunting things in her ears. Too worn down to even think for herself anymore, Soalina simply shook her head and admitted the truth to the Witch.
Erakino must’ve picked up on something from her reaction, because she flashed her sunniest smile yet and launched into a detailed explanation of her intentions.
W̊ е b n_оvѐ l̊ Е̊ n̂u mа̂
“Master and I have learned that to conquer this world we can’t just push everything through with brute force. You hafta follow the proper steps and get all kinds of people to join you to win~♪!”
Soalina had heard Erakino mention this “Master” of hers several times. This seemed to be who the Witch served, and every time she mentioned them, she overflowed with respect and deep affection for that person. Soalina didn’t know who or where this person was, but it was clear that Erakino trusted them from the bottom of her heart.
Chills froze Soalina to her core at the knowledge there were entities out there who had the wholehearted trust and devotion of a Witch.
“So, see?” Erakino continued, unaware of Soalina’s inner thoughts. “Our interests align here, Sainty. We want a country where we can be free to do what we want. You also want a country where you’ll be free to do what you want. Don’t ya think we can make the most wonderful country if we work together?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“A wonderful…country?” Soalina repeated.
“Yeppers! It’ll be a country where no one suffers! Where no one’s sad! A wonderful country where everybody can live happily ever after!” Erakino enthused. “All little ol’ Erakino here wants is an organized military, so I’ll leave everything else to you to do with as you please, Sainty! You can save all the lost souls you want! Awesome, right?”
Ē n̂ùm ă
“You speak of saving people when your hands are stained with the lives of so many…?” Soalina countered with sarcasm. Erakino was talking about her dream country in such a giddy, childlike way, but it’d be a lie to say the farfetched idea didn’t tempt Soalina.
“Hm-mm, that wasn’t this Erakino, but…whatevs! Doesn’t make much of a diff when it comes down to it, ehe~♪!”
Central and the rest of the provinces would eventually learn of the annihilation of the Southern Province’s high-ranking clergy. However, if Soalina used her rank as a Saint before that happened, she could cover it up and smooth things over, albeit a tad forcefully.
Each of the Holy Kingdom of Qualia’s provinces were granted extensive autonomy from Central. If they limited their scope to the Southern Province alone, then…it might very well be possible for them to create a country that aligned with the ideals Erakino spoke of.
“What really matters is that you and I are already in the same boat, Sainty. It’s just a fact that everything’ll eventually be swallowed up if you don’t rally forces together here and now. The game’s already begun—a game where your life is on the line, and you can’t back out even if you want to!” Erakino pushed her point even further while Soalina remained silent to gather her racing thoughts. “You were also bothered by it, weren’t you? Y’know, the omen of cataclysm that appeared in the Accursed Lands~♪!”
Only a handful of people knew about the omen of cataclysm—the apocalypse-bringer—Soalina had sensed within the Accursed Lands. And now it was none other than the Witch before her who’d confirmed her omen. It was comical, really. A Witch was confirming her suspicions when one of Qualia’s very own Cardinals tried to lead her astray for his own gains…
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Let’s defeat ’em together, you and me, Sainty! Any baddie will be putty before our tag-team efforts! We’ll put an end to the bad guys just like we did today and all the days before now! Doing so will surely bring about the peace we long for!”
Soalina was at a loss for words. There was just something so tempting and irresistible about her offer.
If all goes well, maybe it really will be possible to create the ideal country? How could she not be tempted when such a sweet offer was being dangled in front of her? And then there was the more naïve, childlike delusion that crossed her mind: Maybe we can create a truly peaceful country by removing all the evil in the world?
Soalina would’ve never been tempted by such blatant cajolery under normal circumstances. But she was currently a bird locked in a cage, left with little else but the misleading voices of the dead whispering to bewilder her.
“Life is one big gamble, Sainty,” Erakino continued more seriously. “People like to chalk up what happens to something as pretty-sounding as fate, but in reality, it’s all about whether the dice roll in your favor.”
Soalina silently contemplated the situation. If the good she believed in couldn’t save anyone, and the evil she despised could bring about justice, then maybe she should try that route instead—because it’s not like she could do anything, anyway. Not now…not ever.
E̊n u̇m̆ а
“Will you…promise me one thing?” Soalina finally asked.
“What is it?”
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“Promise me you will no longer kill when it’s not necessary.”
“Sure thing!”
There was no guarantee she’d keep her word. To Soalina, it seemed Erakino had replied just to appease her and that she’d agreed to it right away because that was her plan from the start.
Either way, Erakino had accepted Soalina’s request. That’s all there was to it.
Е̂ń üm̊а
“Now the real question is: will we win or lose~♪?”
The Witch cackled.
Her words were the epitome of frivolous—there was nothing trustworthy about them. But Soalina couldn’t help thinking: Does a trustworthy soul actually exist anywhere in this world…?
How could she wonder such a thing when it was by her hand that those once trustworthy souls were now…no more.
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She could hear the clatter of armor in the distance. The Paladins who’d caught wind of the disturbance were headed to this assembly hall to fulfill their duty.
Soalina needed to make a decision. Now. She had surprisingly little time left and only two options to pick from.
Wėb̆n̆òv̂ ēl̊ _En um а̃
Her decision wasn’t going to be made for her by Central’s clergy or a divine oracle. This decision would be made by none other than she herself.
But just how important of a decision was it?
Soalina quietly inhaled. And then, feeling resigned to what was happening in the world, she decided to go along with the ridiculous deal presented by a Witch.
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