252 Article 251. "Who Kills Great Evil?"




 Essentially, words have no power.

 They can't move things, they can't change even a thin layer of the world. Words are nothing more than a series of sounds. But what can I say? There are indeed people who are fascinated by such things.

 Didn't Fialaat teach you that? And that you can't run away from it now. You're the same person you used to be.

 Then I'll do it. Those city soldiers wielding spears in front of me are people whose skulls were once gripped by Roseau's words. So let's smear the idea on them once again. The enthusiasm that is poured into them can only be suppressed by the enthusiasm that is painted on with malice.

"Artius, the all-powerful redeemer, is a crying faith. Wonderful, I love it. But such falsehoods will only work in a cathedral at best, Roseau.

 You say this as if it were an obvious fact. He shrugs his shoulders and snickers. If you don't know what you're talking about, you're going to knock them down to the ground.

 It's the best way to fool people effectively. One step forward. I could even see the smile on their cheeks.

 I could see the eyes of the soldiers of the city of Philos were more astonished than outraged or contemptuous. They were people who had been living in the small city of Philos until now. There was no one around them who would have dared to disparage the one and only god Artius. That's why you should take advantage of him.

"Godless" would be the word for you, Lugis the Vicious. You should be ashamed of yourself, if not merciful.

 So says Roseau. Your behavior is regal. Just as befits a servant of the gods. Then what should I act like a servant of? Not a heraldic deity, but a saintly matriarch. Or Erdis, the Elven princess. The question of what to serve remains vague.

 But if I had to choose between God and the Devil, I'd say I'm definitely more of a Devil. I can't imagine that God will welcome me after death.

 He nodded lightly to Largd-Anne, whose eyes were shaking anxiously beside him, and opened his mouth.

"I'd like to return the compliment, Roseau. You should be ashamed. If Altius is all-powerful, then how am I still alive today? If you defied the all-powerful god, shouldn't you have returned to the earth by now?

 He said, mocking Roseau's words, as if to tell him the obvious truth.

 What is the importance of deception?

 It is that you believe the lie. Every word, every gesture, every expression. You surrender everything to that lie. Let yourself be distorted by the bullshit. That's how people are fooled. Those who are not fooled by this are not people to be fooled in the first place, and should turn away and run away.

 But what we have in front of us are people who have been fooled once before. I thought I saw Roseau's lips twist.

God puts people to the test. He saves those who put their faith in him in hardship. You are, as it were, a test given to us by God...

 Eat up the words that were spoken. "Trials and tribulations," just the kind of words they like.

"Do you really believe that, Roseau? According to the teachings of the Great Saints, immorality should be punished immediately. I've been a member of the Daishonin Church for a long time, and I'm still alive.

 If you like, I even went to the Church of the Great Saints when I was a child," he says, adding that. The word "immoral" made the eyes of the people around him shake.

 Come on, let's seduce him. Let's seduce him with the words of a distant god, but closer to home, with the words of a great evil.

It's not an ordeal. Look, Roseau, it's just that Altius couldn't kill me. He spat on the Daishonians and violated their teachings. He couldn't even get me to shed blood with his army.

 The truth is that you shed blood on the battlefield. I don't mind this level of exaggeration. It's important to be a little flattering when you tell people things. Humility and honesty are virtues, but they can also be flaws that can cause a person's value to plummet.

 With his mouth open, he turns his gaze from Roseau to the surrounding city soldiers. You can't help but laugh, and you can't help but smile as your cheeks contort.

And who are you going to kill? Not even the Great Sacred Army, not even God could kill me. So how can you kill me?

 He opened his arms as if he were welcoming a spear aimed at me. You can't kill me, he said, as if to tell the city soldiers of Philos, and even the soldiers of the heraldry.

 He took another step forward. To show them that there was nothing to worry about. To show that I had nothing to worry about, I took another step forward, pretending not to hesitate or be upset at all.



 In fact, my heart was beating like it had been hit by a heavy rain, a chill was creeping up my heels, and cold sweat was licking down my spine. Of course, this was like walking on a thin rope.

 It's a comedy that will end if just one city soldier yells and swings his spear. If that happens, everyone around me will probably jump on me as if in a fever.

 Yes, the problem is the heat, so to speak. The reason the soldiers of the city of Philos are now pointing their spears against the heraldry is because they are all buoyed by the heat that Roseau's guy is generating.

 Then I'll get rid of it and replace it with something else. For example, fear or dread.

"...... You talk a good game, big bad. By your end, God will teach us. He will show us how treacherous men like you and Philos-Treit die in vain!

 At the sound of his raspy voice, his brow furrowed slightly.

 I had thought that Philos-Treit had also succumbed to the pressure of the People's Assembly and paid the hand of the heraldry. Rather, it was the other way around. He was hounded as an immoral man for forming an alliance with us.

 It's not right, really. In this world, righteousness is sprinkled with mud, and falsehoods are celebrated. If such things are allowed to go unchallenged, there is no reason to believe in God.

 I look at the city soldiers with twisted lips. The one who really wanted to save you was none other than Philos-Treit. What a pity that you are so unlucky to be taken in by such falsehoods.

 He bounced his ears, catching a single sound, and said, bouncing away from Roseau's hoarse voice.

"You said it, Roseau. Then show me how to kill you right now, Altius. Cruelly pierce my heart with your universal power!

 He looks up and speaks to the sky. No matter how many voices I cast into the sky, the weather is clear as day. There's not even a hint of storm. It looks like I'm going to have a good time drinking this evening.

 The sound of a horse-drawn carriage was beginning to echo in my ears. It couldn't be the sound of the soldiers of the city of Philos. The sound of chariots and horses' hooves. It's usually the mercenaries who make the sound of them mingling. I've heard that you'll be joining us sooner or later, but you're doing so well.

 Then I'll dress up a little. It's been a long time since I've seen my best friend. I shrugged my shoulders and said with pride. If I'm wrong about this, there's no shame in it.

"So, who's going to kill me, huh?

 "And who's going to kill me? The sound of horseshoes was close behind.