Informal Discussion ⑨

Ultimately, the weakening of the Goddess Cult was an unavoidable factor in the Divine Word Church's design.

The Divine Word Church enhanced skills and stats for the system, while simultaneously expanding its network widely among humanity, striving for global stability.

To minimize overall human casualties while formulating countermeasures against the Demon Clan.

Despite the Demon Clan's inherent stat advantage, their attacks on humanity had faltered significantly—largely due to this reason.

They orchestrated human conflicts to prevent large-scale wars among humans, redirecting built-up resentment toward the Demon Clan.

Through subtle manipulation of public sentiment and information control, they maintained cohesion across all of humanity.

But if the Goddess dies, her authority will collapse.

For a faith built upon the centrality of divine scripture, a shift in the voice of the deity itself would inevitably constitute an unavoidable crisis.

It is unavoidable that faith will inevitably dim.

Should many humans switch allegiance to the Goddess Cult, power dynamics might shift abruptly.

The Goddess Cult lacks both the rhetorical mastery of the Divine Word Church and the technology to manipulate information.

If agents of the Church of Divine Word infiltrated the Church of the Goddess and were properly reeducated as successors, the situation might change. But if one is going to go to that trouble, it would be simpler to eliminate the Church of the Goddess and continue the Church of Divine Word.

Above all, the Goddess Cult does not understand the system.

It was likely unacceptable to the Pope to have such a goddess cult succeed him.

The goddess was not meant to die until much, much later in history.

Due to an attack launched at great cost to MA energy by some unknown party targeting D, her lifespan was abruptly shortened.

The Divine Word Sect likely intended to gradually weaken the Goddess Cult over many years.

Instead, circumstances changed. They now faced a necessity to hasten the process—waging war if needed—to diminish her power.

The Divine Word Sect had been meticulously preparing toward the goddess’s death.

One element of this preparation involved information manipulation.

Rumors were circulating that the system’s voice would shift subtly, even before any actual change occurred, to prevent disruption.

These rumors would be gradually disseminated. Once they reached the populace, a narrative reinforcing their credibility would be introduced.

For example, a story claiming the goddess was with child, and her husband would temporarily assume her role during childbirth.

Regardless, at that time, the Church of the Goddess will not refer to the goddess by name, but declare the God of the Divine Word as the goddess.

Those who notice will notice.

Even if it is not the truth, ordinary people have no means of verifying it.

If the Church of the Divine Word formally announces it in advance, credibility will emerge when the voice of the god changes.

The decline of authority will be significantly mitigated.

Yet if that is the case, there is no reason to destroy the Church of the Goddess.

That is what I think, though it is not so simple.

Within the Church of the Goddess, there are voices that equate the God of the Divine Word with the goddess.

There are no people who leap to the conclusion that the goddess has died simply because her voice has changed, as the Pope claims.

I do not believe there are people who would lose the will to live in despair over such a thing.

Yet, the existence of voices equating the God and Goddess of the Divine Word may inadvertently create an opening for the decline of the Goddess Cult’s authority.

The Pope could manage something of that magnitude.

But he will not.

There is no time for such actions.

The Goddess’s death signifies the end is imminent.

The Goddess Cult’s doctrine, which contained certain inconvenient truths, had remained unchallenged only because it served as a convenient ideological opponent for the Divine Word Faith.

Alternatively, it might be the Pope’s final sentiment toward the Goddess.

To preserve a religion devoted to her worship, one that could not be easily eradicated.

All such calculations combined make the Goddess’s death a world-altering event.

With no time to spare, there is no room for political or ideological conflict with the Goddess Cult.

Therefore, it must be dismantled now.

The Goddess Cult must have found the plan to dismantle them, accelerated by several centuries, deeply disruptive.

I appeared there, a figure once dubbed the nightmare of the labyrinth, and was readily exploited—perhaps, looking back, that was inevitable.

At the time, I did not fully comprehend the nature of the God-Speech Cult. I lashed out indiscriminately, dragging the battlefield through chaos.

My apologies.

The God-Speech Cult’s campaign against the Goddess Cult continues.

Not labeled a war, but through diplomacy, they are constructing a blockade to erode Salyera’s national strength.

Waiting for Salyera to initiate aggression—then striking decisively.

Even without that, they gradually overwrite ideology.

To achieve this, they secretly recruit war orphans and children of the poor, indoctrinating them with God-Speech Cult doctrine.

The Pope's chosen path remains unchanged, regardless of how unsavory it may seem.

Even if ten thousand lives are lost, if there is even one chance it will save them, there is no hesitation in carrying it out.

That is Pope Dustin.

A monster among humans, even the Demon King acknowledged.

In a sense, greater than black or the Demon King.

His will cannot be altered.

Negotiation cannot proceed without preparing a path that does not oppose their will.

The terms of this negotiation concern cooperation with the elves.

The likelihood of boarding was high.

Yet, it felt as though they were forced to surrender more information than anticipated—on the verge of running aground.

I’d wanted to promise only cooperation with the elf and leave quickly, since I found constant talking exhausting—but now the Vampire Child is going to cause trouble again.

I was seriously thinking the Pope might get his head chopped off.

Well, that would save me the trouble of dealing with it later, so I was fine with it.

Result: Vampire Child KO'd.

A girl so lost in self-contradiction couldn’t possibly challenge this old man.

More like a thought-form, if one were to name it something like "Human Will."

"Your resolve has been duly observed."

The Vampire Child froze. I repeated the earlier failed retreat declaration.

"May a proper relationship be built from here. I shall return at a later date."

Good.

Let’s go.

"Wait."

What now?

Let me go!

I want to leave!

"Is the invasion by the Demon Clan confirmed?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Upon completion of preparations."

Kaaerasuree-roo!

"Understood. When shall we expect your next visit?"

"Ten days from now. At the same time."

Then we shall prepare accordingly and await your arrival. Thank you for granting us your valuable time today.

The pleasure is ours. Despite the sudden visit, you welcomed us most warmly. Then—

Bowing slightly, the transfer activation initiated this time.

Barrier?

Irrelevant.

Threw the Vampire Child and Oni-kun haphazardly into the manor, then initiated another transfer.

Arrived in an alternate space.

A space of my own. A space with no one else.

Tired.

Exhausted.

Would like to remain here for a while, unattended, doing nothing.

In fact, I will.

The thought of enduring this again in ten days is so depressing I could die.

Would rather just idle here for ten days.