There was a long drawn out pause after Carim finished explaining the chain of events as Hayate had told her long ago. Olivie was glad that she had taken a seat as advised by the other woman earlier. “T-that all happened…? It’s too hard to believe…!”
“That’s rather understandable. I wasn’t certain what to believe myself when we first heard several years ago that the Master of the Book and the Wolkenritter would be moving to this world. We weren’t sure what to make of them since our archives did carry some information about the Buch der Dunkelheit,” said the Saint Church Director. “We kept our distance at first until we saw Hayate and her Knights work hard to serve the community over the years. It was enough to help quash our doubts and put our trust in them.”
“You were familiar with their deeds?” asked Olivie.
“As the modern observers of all aspects of Ancient Belkan history and culture, members of the Saint Church are familiar with prominent figures and Lost Logia from that time frame. The Buch der Dunkelheit was quite infamous.”
She frowned for a moment as she searched her memories for a religion that matched the description given to her. “Saint Church? I don’t recall any such religion in my time.”
“The Church is actually a successor group to the Yevon movement that started on Shutra at least a year before the end of the Unification War,” explained Carim.
“Yevon…? So that’s how it is…” She recalled that at that time period, the regular villages that were located in the immediate surrounding territory of Ingvalt’s castle got battered by disastrous weather which caused major disruptions to farming season. It was enough to get her and Claus to make regular trips to various communities. While the Hegemon would be primarily responsible for overlooking relief efforts, she taught valuable life lessons to prevent the people from falling to their negative emotions. The continuous boosting of spirits over the months had led to the Yevon movement in which the affected villages that received those life lessons spread it to others.
“Indeed. At the end of the War when the Kaiser’s final fate was discovered, the movement was reorganized into a proper religion and took the Sankt Kaiser as a messiah figure to worship.”
Those last words then registered in Olivie’s mind. “Wait a second… you mean?”
“Yes, you are essentially God,” said Carim in that calm tone and a smile worthy of a nun.
“… … huh…” A beat… and then a sigh. “I bet that somehow, Claus had a hand in making me like that…”
“Ingvalt did have some influence in the Church’s first year. But in any case, now that you understand the history of the Church, you should also understand that as the current Saint Church Director… I, Carim Gracia, can confirm that the Guardian Knights serve the side of righteousness.” It seemed that right now, the Saint Church Director had things under control which helped to calm down Hayate’s nerves. Ever since that other woman had entered the office, Signum and Vita had been keeping a close eye on her. Their body language indicated a sense of tension, probably because of the accusations that had been thrown at them earlier.
“I want to believe you,” started Olivie. “… but if you have seen what I have seen, then you would find it difficult to believe they can change so easily.”
Hayate was the first to find her voice to break the silence that followed the other woman’s words. “What did you see…?”
“I clearly remember an extremely stormy day on Shutra. A village that was close to the Northern border had sent out a request for help due to their dam being overwhelmed by the storm waters which started flooding the farm lands. A small garrison had been dispatched to provide some relief to the people. While on my way back from a war conference, I decided to make a detour to that village and lend whatever support I could give. The poor weather and the muddy roads that my steed had trouble going through had played a role in my late arrival to that village.”
The Lieutenant Colonel blinked in surprise. “A steed? You couldn’t just fly there?”
“Shutra’s environment had an effect on the flow of magic. Flying on the planet expended more energy than it was worth so ground transportation was the norm there,” explained Carim quickly to Hayate.
“When I got there, I found many corpses among the wrecked village. Men, women, children, and the Hegemon’s soldiers… even all the village livestock. And among the wreckage, I saw a glimpse of the perpetrators that were up ahead before they teleported away. At that point, I knew who they were and when I saw the results of their mission with my own eyes, an angry fire burned in my heart.” She paused before turning her glare towards Hayate’s Knights. “Tell me… do you remember how many pages those lives were worth?”
“Every time we appear before a new master, we lose all our memories of the previous summoning,” said Signum in her usual calm tone.
This caused the other woman to smile coldly. “How convenient. With no memory, you don’t carry the burden of your original sins.”
Vita growled and had to be restrained by her fellow Knight. “You damned…!”
“W-wait…! Those men were soldiers! They should know that wherever they get deployed that there’s a risk of death! That’s… that’s what happens in a war zone!” Hayate had learned that lesson the hard way during the JS incident over a year and a half ago.
“Dying in the name of king and country is one thing. But to die a meaningless death for being in the wrong place at the wrong time while trying to aid disaster victims…” Her hands unconsciously formed fists as she trembled in frustration. “If I didn’t try to seek retribution when their killers are in front of me, how can I face those men in the afterlife?”
“If your doubts plague you this badly, then I have no choice.” In a flash, Signum summoned her sheathed Armed Device into her hand. “We shall settle this in traditional Belkan fashion: a trial by combat.”
The other woman seemed pleased by that option. “My fists against your sword? I have no objection to that.”
Hayate didn’t like where this was going. “Why are you going through with this? Carim already explained-”
“If it is true in regards to this Knight living honestly and with compassion and warmth, then it will be reflected in her blade. After all, the true nature of a person can be found in battle.” Olivie paused before chuckling bitterly. “Considering all the time that I spent in Shutra, I thought by now that I would be wise enough to think rationally and confirm the truth. And yet, I still rely on my fists to show me the way.”
“… … then it can’t be helped. Let us set some ground rules before you engage in your battle,” said the Saint Church Director. “Hayate, please have Mr. Scrya meet us at Arena Four. I believe his barrier talents would be most useful in preventing excess damage.”
“You’re going along with this, Carim?”
“Considering that they’re going to go through that trial by combat whether we like it or not …” A weary glance showed that both Signum and Olivie had inadvertently summoned a magical aura around their bodies in anticipation of battle. “It’s best to try and keep things under control.”
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(Posted Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:08)
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