Lord of Disease (JP-GL) 135

135: An Audience with the Holy King

It was impossible for a mere village girl to bypass the official procedures and gain an audience with the Holy King.

But the veteran gatekeeper had strongly petitioned his superiors.

And—everyone who had seen her had, unbelievably, requested an immediate audience.

And everyone quickly understood why.

A shock, as if the very definition of beauty had been rewritten.

The being she had with her was undoubtedly a messenger of God.

Even with all the magical scrutiny, it was concluded that it was not an illusion or a transformation.

The old man sitting on the throne smiled.

“…Oh. To welcome a messenger of God and the one entrusted with his words. I am Holy King Etgard XIV. Come closer, let me see your face.”

The ‘Saint’ smiled.

And she nodded, then veered off the path to the throne. She knelt before an old man dressed as a court official, who had been standing discreetly behind the other officials, and clasped her hands in prayer.

“May the grace of God be upon His Majesty the Holy King.”

“…No…”

“She ignored the impostor on the throne…”

“So it’s true…”

As the gathered nobles murmured among themselves, the ‘Saint’ smiled and stood up.

“In the name of God, I have come to deliver his words.”

“…Yes. Tell me. I apologize for testing you. I am the true Etgard XIV.”

“Your Majesty, do you believe her? This… mere…” an aide, also dressed as a court official, whispered in his ear. Etgard XIV looked at him with pity.

“Does the scripture say that God created class among men?”

“…No. But in reality, men have created class. To save more people, to spread faith throughout the world.”

“…Yes… as the one at the pinnacle of that class, I will not deny it. But do you think God cares? He has chosen the most innocent and devout of his followers—so it seems to me.”

“…Yes.”

“I apologize. You must have endured many hardships.”

She shook her head.

“No. We are the people of God, the servants of God. No hardship is too great, in the face of our mission to destroy those impure beings.”

“God… has given you a mission?”

“Yes. ‘Inherit the will of those who have fallen to disease and poison, cross the white mountains, and by the hand of the most holy, and the people who follow them, purge all impurity from this world…’”

She clasped her hands and closed her eyes.

“Please forgive my ignorance, for I am but a simple village girl who has not even memorized the scriptures. I do not have the wisdom to interpret the true meaning of these words. But there are those who believe in me, and in the angel who has accompanied me. And so, I believed that the most holy were the people of the holy city… and so I continued my pilgrimage.”

She glanced back at the angel.

“The angel has not spoken. And God only said, ‘Deliver my words to the people of the earth.’”

“…Yes.”

“And… I confess. I did not truly believe in God.”

“…Someone like you?”

“Because… God is omnipotent… the impure, the demons, should not exist. But they do, don’t they? …My village… many of my people… including my family… were killed by… the Lord of Disease.”

“The Lord of Disease…”

The name of the most powerful, most evil of all mages was uttered in a groan by the gathered nobles.

A grim reaper of the wilderness, who spread disease and poison, leaving corpses with sword wounds and the bite marks of beasts, a vile pest that ravaged not only the Holy Kingdom, but all of humanity.

“But God did not save us. He did not destroy the Lord of Disease, or the demons.”

Some of the nobles looked away, ashamed of their inability to protect the rural villages. They were safe behind their thick walls. But the farmers were not. The good-hearted among them lived with the guilt of having abandoned their fellow believers.

“But when I received his words, and saw the angel, I understood.”

She raised her voice.

“Even God is not omnipotent!”

The atmosphere changed, and the gathered nobles were in an uproar.

“Blasphemy!”

“Do you dare to question God, girl?!”

A nobleman drew his sword and pointed the thin silver blade at her throat.

“Take it back, girl. Even with a messenger of God at your side, such words will not be tolerated.”

“I will not.”

“Even if it means death?”

“Even if I die, it is undeniable that either God is not omnipotent, or we are not worthy of being saved by his hand.” She shook her head.

“Girl…!”

“Therefore!” She raised her voice again.

“We must save ourselves! —In the name of the God in heaven, it is our duty, as humans, to bring justice to this earth!!”

Silence fell.

The nobleman who had pointed his sword at her slowly lowered it and sheathed it.

Then, he began to clap.

Clap, clap. Clap, clap.

The applause, a slow, appreciative rhythm, spread.

Clap, clap. Clap, clap, clap… clap, clap, clap, clap.

The throne room was filled with applause.

Their hearts were one.

To obey the word of God, and to destroy all impurity.

That was why they existed.