studiobondurri Chapter 169 : Chapter 169
Chapter 169 : Chapter 169
Translator: AkazaTL Pr/Ed: Sol IX
***
The Southern Continent knew no harsh winters. Only a serene, sunlit summer that lasted all year. Its warmth was gentle, never sweltering. Year after year, the farmers harvested bountiful crops without a single famine. The blessed soil overflowed with life, and happiness was abundant.
Beneath the gracious sun, the people of the South worshiped the radiant Goddess of the Sun, Revrua. No one commanded them to—they simply and naturally adored the sun that sustained them. Those who lived in prosperity beneath her blessing and died in peace were bound, perhaps inevitably, to her worship.
Of course, not everyone followed the same faith. In the Southern Continent, three major orders existed: the Order of the Sun, the Order of the Star, and the Order of the Cross.
***
I didn’t know much about the Southern Continent, but I did know one thing—it was famed for tourism. The destination everyone said one had to visit before death. The land of endless summer, a paradise for travelers. Its ports, the first step for visitors, were said to be impeccably maintained—gleaming symbols of hospitality and prosperity.
Even outside of tourism, any “hub” city—those with ports or warp gates—was always kept clean and presentable. These cities served as the face of a nation, the first impression of an entire continent. I even recalled a book I once read, Travel Journal of the Southern Continent, where the author described his first impression as “breathtakingly beautiful.”
But what now stood before me was “Ruined.”
Yes. Ruined was the only word for it.
“The situation’s worse than I thought,” I muttered.
“Indeed. We almost couldn’t dock,” Zeppelin Gold added, scratching his head.
The first place we stepped onto was the harbor city of Visente, in the Holy Empire of the Southern Continent. I had never been there before, but one glance told me all I needed to know. Chaos. Destruction.
‘Looks like a storm tore through here.’
Not a single building stood whole. Roofs and walls had collapsed, rubble littered the streets, and the air stank of blood and rot. Crimson stains darkened the cobblestones, and what looked like burned flesh clung to the ground. Families in rags huddled on the streets, while orphaned children wandered aimlessly. The maimed and blind crawled, begging for scraps.
“Grotesque,” I said quietly.
“Common sights in a nation at war,” Zeppelin murmured. “Still, it pains me. The last time I came here, it was nothing like this. I used to visit often—for business, and even for leisure. It hurts to see a place filled with memories reduced to this.”
He spoke with a complex tone. Beyond the ruins, I saw a towering statue—bronze, shaped like a woman. Or rather, what used to be one. Her head was gone, replaced by a dull iron cross driven into her neck. On her chest, words were scrawled in blood.
[Deus vult]
I didn’t know the meaning. As I narrowed my eyes at it, Zeppelin explained.
“The work of the Order of the Cross. They’ve lost their minds. To defile another order’s relic like that…”
“Another order’s relic?”
“Yes. That statue is Visente’s symbol—the Statue of the Sun. It was carved in the image of Goddess Revrua. And they tore off its head, impaled it with a cross, and wrote that.…”
“Can you read it?”
“Of course. Many Southerners can’t speak the common tongue, but I know their script. It says…”
Zeppelin stroked his chin.
“‘God wills it.’”
God wills it. To write that on another order’s holy statue— it wasn’t faith. It was fanaticism.
“That’s the slogan of the Cross Order. They serve one of the Seven Lords—the Son of Sin and Punishment. The Order now spreads across the continent, shouting those words as they slaughter and burn, claiming they are the chosen Crusaders delivering divine judgment.”
“Wouldn’t the other orders oppose that? If they cry ‘God wills it,’ it means they deny all others. Surely the Orders of the Sun and the Star won’t tolerate such heresy.”
“Of course they don’t. But what can they do?”
Zeppelin gave a bitter smile.
“The Seven Lords and Nine Goddesses won’t intervene. As violent as it is, it doesn’t technically break divine law. They haven’t denied the existence of other gods outright, nor have they directly insulted them. They’re merely interpreting their scripture—and acting upon it.”
“Violent, but not unlawful,” I repeated softly.
“Unjust, certainly,” Zeppelin said. “The balance is broken. The Order of the Star preaches peace, coexistence, and forgiveness. The Order of the Sun values asceticism—overcoming trials through self-discipline. The Star has no warriors at all, and the few fighters of the Sun Order become Monks, leaving to live as wandering ascetics.”
“……”
“In contrast, the Cross Order fields Crusaders—holy knights, inquisitors, clerics who can wield miracles. They have their own army. And their violence even comes with justification.”
Zeppelin’s tone hardened.
“Their doctrine states, ‘Sin must be met with punishment.’ And now they proclaim that this war is a holy judgment upon those who have defiled our sacred lands.”
“What kind of justification is that?”
“Religiously speaking—it isn’t wrong. The scripture of the Cross lists many holy sites: places where their god, the Son of Sin and Punishment, once walked, performed miracles, and finally was nailed to the cross before returning to heaven. All of those are sacred.”
“……”
“Recorded in their scripture, yes—but their god spent over ten years in the mortal realm and traveled far. If every one of those places were granted to the Order, they’d own more land than an entire nation. And since some of those ‘holy sites’ lie in strategic territories across multiple countries… giving them all up would be impossible.”
Zeppelin continued, his voice almost drowned by the growing wails around us.
“So the Southern nations compromised. They allowed priests of the Cross to reside at those sites, and the state itself helped maintain them. For a time, the Cross Order accepted this arrangement.”
“Then why use it now as a pretext for war?”
“Because it’s convenient. Frankly, they’ve lost their way as servants of the divine. I can’t fathom why their god hasn’t struck them down.”
All around us were the broken and the destitute— hollow eyes, dirt-streaked faces, and hopeless silence.
“In the end, it’s greed. They’re uniting their armies under the banner of ‘holy reclamation,’ strengthening their Pope’s power, and using divine will as an excuse to swallow the entire Southern Continent. They aim to forge a vast Holy Empire greater than the current one—like the Sky Empire of the Central Continent, a single theocratic giant ruling an entire landmass.”
“……And the Seven Lords allow this?”
“I ask myself the same thing. Why does the Son of Sin and Punishment tolerate this madness? Why do the others remain silent?”
Zeppelin sighed.
“Well, we mortals can’t claim to know the will of heaven.”
Unconvincing words. But Liam’s voice explained what he could not.
「It’s preparation—for the chaos to come. The power of the Seven Lords and Nine Goddesses grows through faith. The more followers, the stronger they become. The Lord of Sin and Punishment cares little how his name is used, so long as it makes him greater.」
If it makes him greater, he doesn’t care. Then what of the others? Fifteen gods remained—why did they stay silent? Before I could ask, Liam continued.
「Because of who they are. The Goddess of Stars and the Goddess of the Sun are bound by their own doctrines. The Star preaches unconditional love and forgiveness, so she cannot take up arms. The Sun teaches endurance through hardship and self-reliance, so she cannot intervene to save her faithful.」
“……”
「And the rest? They have no reason to move. The Seven Lords and Nine Goddesses are heavy-seated watchers who despise disrupting balance. Besides, if they sit still, the power of those two goddesses weakens—and that, for them, is a pleasant outcome. Why would they stop it?」
Liam gave a quiet, knowing laugh.
「The heaven of the Seven Lords and Nine Goddesses isn’t the noble realm of myth. They don’t mingle to preserve peace or guide the races. Cast away your illusions of gods, young descendant—it’ll make the world much clearer.」
Cast away your illusions of gods. Those words struck deep—and felt right.
I nodded in agreement and turned back to Zeppelin.
“Then what exactly do you need me to do here?”
“There’s only one task,” he said with a grin. “Didn’t I tell you when we first made our deal?”
Zeppelin Gold smiled brightly.
“You’re going to become a hero here.”
Then, pointing ahead, he added.
“Let’s make a strong first impression on the Southerners.”
He was pointing at the mutilated statue—the headless image of the Sun, pierced by a cross.
“The crowd always cheers for the underdog. A hero isn’t someone who sides with the powerful—it’s someone who stands with the weak and shatters injustice.”
“……”
“Let’s show these Crusaders, these so-called holy warriors trampling innocents—let’s show them what a real sword looks like.”
“I like that,” I said.
Breaking injustice—that, I could get behind.
“Are these Crusaders strong?”
“Depends on your standard,” he said.
“Use me as the standard.”
Zeppelin chuckled.
“My lord.”
“Yes?”
“Here, you’re a wolf among sheep.”
His golden eyes gleamed.
“Show these pampered children of the southern sun what it means to survive in the brutal Iron Kingdom of the West—with nothing but your sword.”