Volume 4 Chapter 5 Part3 (1/2)

Translator

Corner

Minasan oideyasu. This is Yukkuri demasu!

Another chapters!

Also there is a picture I deliberately forgot

to place on the previous chapter, so the aggregator won’t get it. It’s Mary’s

picture. Check it out.

Also, new editor in place!

Have a claps!

DISCLAIMER: There is no

guarantee that my translation is 100% correct. Please correct me if I was

wrong.

Author:

Dozeumaru(どぜう丸)

Translator:

Yukkuri Oniisan

Editor:

SMS

Enlightenment Arc

Chapter 5 As a Person C

(State religion……)(Souma)

A nation’s official religion. In modern

developed countries, this concept that had become entirely obsolete. A religion

that is believed and officially endorsed by the country as a whole. That

religion’s holy days will be celebrated by the country as national event…… Anyway,

it’s not all that realistic to apply this in our multiracial country.

「Mary-dono.

Do you realize just what your request entails? If we, a multiracial country, give

preferential treatment to one religion, this will be a cause for disunity for our

nation. Are you asking me to commit such a foolish mistake?」(Souma)

I protested, albeit gently, in

order to display my annoyance at her request. I may not look like it, but I am someone

with an authority worthy enough to be referred as a “Great King”. If she was

just a small fry, she would be afraid to anger me and then behave. However, the

girl’s expression didn’t change at all.

「We’re

not requesting preferential treatment. Even though, I would be grateful if we are

given preferential treatment, we simply wish for our faith to be appointed as a

State Religion to begin with. Our Lunaria Orthodoxy preaches tolerance for other

people. This att.i.tude also applies to interactions with other religions. We neither

wish to expel the believers of other faiths nor demand their conversion.」(Mary)

Saying that, Mary held her open

hands high towards the ceiling.

「The Moon

in the sky changes its appearances as the seasons change, and changes its face

based on the time and place it can be seen. Furthermore, just like how some may

see an animal’s silhouette on the Moon while others see a human one, the same

thing applies to faith. Even if it appears differently, the belief and faith in

G.o.d doesn’t change. The unbelievers only have a different perspective in seeing

what we see as Lunarisama.」(Mary)

「……」(Souma)

……That was quite the poetic opinion.

If that opinion expressed her true feeling, then surely she was really tolerant……

But I think that her words are nothing more than a weightless papier-mâché

pretension.

「However,

isn’t it true that you people don’t recognize the Mother Dragon Faith that

believes in the Mother Dragon of Star Dragon Mountains.」(Souma)

「G.o.d is

in the Heavens and inside one’s heart. To wors.h.i.+p a being that physically exists

in the world, is only a fear of that being. What could the Mother Dragon do for

a believer of the Mother Dragon Faith? The Star Dragon Mountains only interact

with Nothun Dragon Knights Kingdom, right?」(Mary)

「It

is natural that an awe towards a greater and stronger being becomes a faith. The

Mother Dragon is a being beyond human understanding, a symbol of the nature

itself.」(Souma)

「That

way of thinking is wrong. We believe that faith is a bond between the G.o.d, who thinks

of humans, and humans, who think of G.o.d. We see the Mother Dragon Faith as a

misplaced affection to the Mother Dragon. We won’t accept it as a religion. Of

course, I could understand why there are people who have such thoughts.」(Mary)

Mary replied fluently. She didn’t

say anything particularly strange. In fact, the impression I got from her was

one of sound logic. If this was a personal opinion, I wanted to discuss this leisurely

with her on another occasion…… However, her premises were wrong on several points.

「…… Since

this is a good opportunity, I would like to hear your opinion on this matter.

May I?」(Souma)

「In

what matter?」(Mary)

「Recently,

it looks like there are many spies loitering around this country……」(Souma)

「In

this country? Even though this country appears so stable, how unexpected.」(Mary)

As expected, Mary’s expression

didn’t change one bit. I couldn’t feel any ripple in her emotion from some time

ago. This even made me believe that she really didn’t know about the Orthodoxy

State’s dark side.

「…… The

moment that spy attacked my subordinate, he said a phrase, 『Infidel

sc.u.m』. Perhaps, he was a believer of some religion. As a

person who wors.h.i.+p a G.o.d like that Spy, does Mary-dono understand the meaning

of that spy’s words?」(Souma)

「Since

I am not that spy, it is difficult to ascertain, but……」(Mary)

Mary pondered briefly and replied

without any particular enthusiasm.

「Perhaps,

he thought that his mission was ordained by G.o.d. The people who disturbed his

duty were, to him, people who didn’t believe in G.o.d. That’s why he saw them as “Infidels”.」(Mary)

「In

other words, it doesn’t matter whether or not the other people are really unbelievers?」(Souma)

「From

your story, I feel that, yes, it doesn’t matter. Though, this is only my subjective

opinion.」(Mary)

「…… No,

this is helpful.」(Souma)

……I wonder why. She’s made me

even more perplexed. I couldn’t detect any agenda or motive in her words. She

honestly replied to all my questions…… Is this really a negotiation? Shouldn’t negotiations

be a clash of opinions towards a mutual objective? For this reason, any fact

that could become a weakness was hidden and conversation was directed towards an

advantageous position. However, I completely couldn’t feel anything in her

speech and conduct towards such a direction…… This is difficult.

「…… Let's

return to the original topic. So you want Lunaria Orthodoxy to become our

country’s state religion?」(Souma)

「Yes.」(Mary)

「How

will this benefit our country? Also if you talk about religious tolerance, then

what the people put faith into should not matter. So, what is the reason behind

the Lunaria Orthodoxy’s request to be made as a state religion?」(Souma)

「I

will answer your first question. If Lunaria Orthodoxy is granted a state

religion status, then we are prepared to acknowledge Your Majesty, the Great

King, as a 『Holy Man(Saint)』.

Your Majesty will not only be a king of a country, but a 『Holy(Saint) King』. Then, the Orthodoxy State would depute me as personal

bishopess[1],

to serve Your Majesty, as if to serve G.o.d Himself.」(Mary)

After saying this, Marie bowed…… It

was just like what Roroa had said. But I never imagined that it would be the

Holy Maiden herself to visit me.

「…… It

sounds as if your visit is to offer yourself as a bride.」(Souma)

「If Your

Highness Holy King desires so, you may do whatever you please to me.」(Mary)

「I still

haven’t accepted nor agreed to your offer.」(Souma)

「Please

forgive my impertinence.」(Mary)

Mary once more bowed down. She

wasn’t shy at all…… rather than that, her expression was that of someone who

didn’t even know that she had done bad things. Aisha, who stood beside me, twitched

when I mentioned the ‘bride’ thing, while Liscia wasn’t perturbed at all. She was

just observing Mary with serious expression. Just how was Mary reflected in her

eyes?

「Then?

After I become the 『Holy King』 and the 『Holy Maiden』 serves me, is there any benefit to this country?」(Souma)

「This

country has grown so much that it stands on equal grounds to the Grand Chaos Empire.

This is also the result of His Majesty's reign. If you can acquire Lunaria Orthodoxy’s

influence, then this country could acquire power that could surpa.s.s even the

Empire.」(Mary)

「Sure,

we have become bigger. But don’t you know that in terms of both territory and national

strength, the Empire still surpa.s.ses us?」(Souma)

Well, at least on the aspect of technological

power, though, we have already overtaken them, but let’s not reveal that. However,

Marie shook her head.

「About

40% of the Empire’s population comprises Lunaria Orthodoxy believers. This was

because the Mother Dragon Faith wasn’t that popular in the Empire that waged

expansionist wars against Star Dragon Mountains in the past. In other words, close

to half of the Empire’s population follows the Lunaria Orthodoxy. If this country

ever found itself at war with the Empire, then with our influence we could

divide the Empire in half.」(Mary)

「……Stop

speaking something that outrageous so easily. Our country has no intention whatsoever

to wage war against the Empire.」(Souma)

「This

is just a what-if situation. In short, we are extending an offer to be the most

powerful Humanity country that even could surpa.s.s the Empire.」(Mary)

……Hmm. Well, if we look at the

relations.h.i.+p between monarchs and the Roman Catholic Church during the Middle

Age and Early Modern Age[2],