Informal Discussion ⑧
Oni-kun's Perspective
"Please wait. By that statement, you're implying that the Church of the Goddess knows the God of the Divine Word and the Goddess are the same entity. But that isn't the case, is it?"
I hadn't planned to speak up, but the question slipped out before I could stop it.
Before the meeting, I'd asked Sophia about the Church of the Goddess.
She had only encountered it briefly as an infant, so she knew nothing of its doctrines.
But the name itself made it clear—it was a faith devoted to the Goddess.
If it were not aware that the God of the Divine Word and the Goddess were one and the same, it wouldn't be in opposition to the Church of the Divine Word.
The Pope's words suggested this was common knowledge.
Otherwise, the succession of the God of the Divine Word should not equate to the death of the Goddess.
"That is to be expected. We planned to disseminate this information ourselves shortly."
The Pope answered my question with ease.
What does that mean?
"Various matters may be on your mind, but listen to me for now. To prevent the balance of power between the Divine Word Church and the Goddess Church from reversing upon the Goddess's demise, we must weaken the Goddess Church's influence now—or absorb it into the Divine Word Church. One such strategic move was the war involving Miss Sophia's homeland."
Skimming over many details, the conclusion appears to be this.
"So, you're afraid of losing your position, are you?"
Sophia asked the Pope in a low voice.
“If you think that, then I shall offer my head at once. With that, I shall have no regrets, and you may sign the agreement.”
I did not understand the meaning of those words for a moment.
That would apply to nearly everyone present.
A beat later, the attendees of the Divine Word Church flinched in shock, while Sophia remained with her mouth agape, expression slack.
Only Shiro showed no change in expression.
“What is it? I will not resist. Please, be swift.”
The Pope’s calm voice carried no hint of jest.
It felt as though he truly believed he could offer his head here and now.
An odd silence filled the space.
“What are you—thinking?”
After a pause, Sophia finally managed to force out a hoarse voice.
"I have no intention other than being ready to sacrifice this life at any moment. That is all."
The response came not from Sophia, but from the other members of the Divine Word Church.
They spoke in turn: "We cannot manage without you," "Stop this foolishness," "If you wish to offer your head, take mine instead," each voice directed at the Pope and Sophia.
Sophia and the Pope ignored the words, remained motionless, locked in mutual gaze.
From the Pope’s unyielding stare, his sincerity was evident.
"Think you’ll die easily?"
"Either way is acceptable. Death is merely a transit point for me. No matter how many times I die, how many times I reincarnate, how many times I lose memory—I will not deviate from my path."
"Wouldn’t dying now mean abandoning that path?"
"The Church of the Divine Word will continue without me. I have cultivated those around me to ensure that outcome. I do not recall building an organization so fragile that the departure of a single human would destabilize it."
Sophia grits her teeth.
The Pope's resolve is genuine.
If necessary, he is prepared to die here, to secure the agreement.
It is as though he is saying he does not cling to status or power through indirect means.
A person who so readily discards their life as currency in negotiation would not fixate on something as trivial as rank.
If the goddess perishes and the succession to the Black Dragon occurs, the authority of the Divine Word Sect will inevitably decline. At that moment, allowing the rise of the Goddess Sect is unacceptable. While the Goddess Sect could remain as long as it could be crushed at any time, it must not transform into the Divine Word Sect—or become the largest human sect. Not a sect that prays to a lost god and fails to comprehend the nature of the system.
The Pope spoke in a voice without fever.
Clinging to status is not something I deny. Should the Divine Word Faith fall, I believe it would be a step toward the ruin of not only humanity but the world itself. I care not what becomes of me, but the fall of the Divine Word Faith must not occur. If the Faith that has forgotten the goddess’s ideal—twisted and corrupted—were to take its place, that would be even more unacceptable.
I do not know the Goddess Faith in such detail.
Yet I am certain the faint distaste mixed into the Pope’s words was not mere imagination.
"Faith of the Divine Word has acted solely for the sake of the world—and ultimately, for the human race. Should another path prove more beneficial to humanity, we would gladly relinquish our position. Should we judge it harmful, we would eliminate it without hesitation."
In the end, this Pope is driven by that very conviction.
For the sake of humanity.
To forsake personal desire, even one’s own life, and continue that resolve across reincarnations.
"Even if the one to be protected is humanity itself?"
"If sacrificing the small to preserve the great is the only way, then I will not hesitate to kill the small. When considering whether preserving the Church of the Divine Word or the Church of the Goddess would benefit humanity as a whole more, I chose to eliminate the Church of the Goddess. That is all."
Sophia's trembling voice demanding answers. The Pope's response, unwavering and immediate.
"Killing those you're sworn to protect... how utterly absurd."
A bitter remark, delivered without laughter, as if the words themselves were a mockery.
"Therefore, I ensure the mountain of corpses I've accumulated is not wasted."
Those words struck me as if a blow had landed directly on my skull.
"Neither my body nor my soul will cease until they are utterly destroyed. If the world is saved before then, I am prepared to atone in hell forever. So please... forgive me, only with this body alone."
I am sorry.
I killed your family. Took your home. Left you without a future.
Hearing those words, Sophia slowly looked up at the sky.