For Whom Do You Fight?

While a bloodless staredown continued on the Euphoria Kingdom front,

intense bloodshed was occurring on the Lunaria-Amidonia front.

Anne, the Saint of the Tiger, led her forces to attack the Amidonia

Region of the Kingdom of Friedonia. This front was just one of many

diversions, but the army of the Orthodox Papal State was made up of

devout adherents, and they had no compunctions about spilling blood for

the religion.

"Victory for Saint Anne! Glory to Holy King Fuuga!"

"Don't cling to your lives! Lady Lunaria is watching over our work!"

"Heathen and heretic blood will guide us to Lady Lunaria's side!"

"Don't fear martyrdom! Let's march towards paradise!"

With these fanatical cries, the forces of the Orthodox Papal State

charged towards the Kingdom of Friedonia's National Defense Force. The

Friedonian forces were loath to let this kind of mob into their country, so

they deployed to block the invasion route and met them on the field of

battle.

The Orthodox Papal State was less powerful and wealthy than even the

Amidonia Region on its own, so their equipment was rather shoddy when

compared to the Kingdom's National Defense Force. In addition, the

wounds of their recent political upheaval remained unhealed. The Orthodox

Papal State, which normally should've been able to field fifty thousand

soldiers and just as many volunteers on top of that, could only mobilize

fifty thousand men in total. And among them, seventy percent were made

up of said volunteers.

Their forces charged towards the Amidonian Front Force and their wellprepared defense line. It was like punching a steel wall with their bare

hands, and the Orthodox Papal State's forces bled a lot for the attempt. Still,

this didn't stop them. They continued to advance as arrows rained down and

spears pierced their chests. Even if they saw a comrade felled by an enemy

blade before their eyes, they would climb over the dead body to attack.

These pious men saw death in battle as the way to paradise.

"Kill them! The way of righteousness is to kill as many of these infidels

as possible."

"Such a path could never be righteous!"

Two swords flew through the air and carved an X into the commander,

who was leading the fanatics on horseback. A female knight with lion ears

and a tail leapt over him and landed nimbly on the other side. It was Mio C.

Carmine, daughter of the former General of the Army, Georg Carmine. She

was here today as the head of the restored House of Carmine.

The leader of the Amidonian Front Force was Halbert's father, Glaive

Magna. The commanders serving under him were either those from the

former Army who had ties to the House of Carmine or people who came

from the Amidonia Region. Essentially, those who lived closest to this land

were defending it. Because of this, the defenders' morale was high, as they

felt they were protecting their own domains and hometowns.

"Victory to the saint!"

"Punishment for the infidels!"

"Tch!"

Slice! Mio cut down both her assailants with one slash.

Despite their shoddy equipment, the soldiers of the Orthodox Papal State

charged at the obviously powerful Mio and were easily slain. As they went

down, there was almost a look of satisfaction on their faces.

Mio bared her fangs and glared at them.

"Your deaths are in vain! The only time it's a virtue to care so little for

your lives is when you fight to defend something you cannot give up on!

When you come at us and die, it's all for nothing! Don't you understand

that?!"

Her voice fell on the deaf ears of the Orthodox Papal State, who fought

for faith alone. No words could reach those who did not listen. Mio

mentally clicked her tongue at them. It looks like they won't back down in

the face of Sir Julius's infamous reputation this time...

When the Kingdom of Friedonia intervened in the previous war between

the Gran Chaos Empire and the Great Tiger Kingdom, they were able to

shake up the forces of the Orthodox Papal State by making it appear as

though Julius, the feared "Bloody Prince," was about to invade. Now,

however, because they anticipated that the enemy would take measures to

counter this, the Black-robed Prime Minister and White Strategist Julius

agreed that he should not fight on the Amidonian front. In fact, because the

combatants this time were the Orthodox Papal State's fanatics, they would

have attacked with reckless abandon if their hated foe appeared.

If that happened, the Kingdom's National Defense Force would incur

considerable losses. Although, even without Julius here, the enemy's

reckless charge was still forcing the Friedonian forces on the defensive.

They knew this offense couldn't last long, but unlike these zealots who

didn't fear death, the soldiers of the National Defense Force had families

and homes they wanted to return to. Because of their superiority over their

opponents, they were paralyzed by inaction out of a desire to preserve their

own lives.

The Orthodox Papal State's forces continued to push, and there were

even places where the defense began to collapse. Mio led a force to those

spots to provide support, but she felt the pressure. She wanted this onesided battle to end so she could return to her beloved Colbert and have him

indulge her to her heart's content.

"We will die and go to paradise..."

"Oh, shut up!"

Fed up with this one-sided battle, Mio swung to slay her opponent, but...

What?! A child?!

It was a young boy who couldn't have been more than fifteen.

The armed forces of the Orthodox Papal State must have been desperate

for volunteers. While only a small percentage in the grand scheme of

things, child soldiers were mixed in with the other zealots.

As Mio instinctively withdrew her blades, two adult soldiers joined the

boy, attacking her from behind. Mio dodged the boy's spear, but the men's

swords raced towards her while she was still off-balance.

"For Lunaria!"

"Die, infidel!"

Oh no! Mio panicked, but suddenly a large man appeared, cutting down

both the attacking soldiers.

"Don't let your guard down," he bellowed, following up his attack with

a hard kick to the boy's solar plexus.

The boy doubled over in pain as the large man confiscated his weapons,

then seized him by the scruff of the neck and threw him to the rear. Men

dressed all in black were waiting, and they gagged and bound the boy

before hauling him off.

The large individual, donning black armor, wiped the blood from the

Nine-Headed Dragon katana gifted to him by King Souma. As he sheathed

his weapon, he gazed at the lion-eared female.

Mio's eyes watered when she recognized who it was.

"F-Fath—urgh!"

He gave Mio a sharp blow to the head.

"You still have much to learn," he said.

This individual who stood over Mio and protected her as she clutched

her head and groaned was none other than Kagetora...commander of the

Black Cats.

"If there is a time when you can show mercy on the battlefield, then it is

only once you have completely overwhelmed your opponent. You cannot

possibly have that kind of leeway. Because though their faith is blind, these

enemies fight with conviction."

"Urgh... Yes, sir!" Mio stood up straight and answered, one hand still on

her aching head. She looked like an apprentice who was finding new

motivation after a sharp rebuke from her master.

Seeing Mio had recovered, Kagetora turned with a swish of his identity

cloaking cape.

"We will help where the defenses are on the verge of collapse. My

subordinates are currently probing the inside of the enemy camp. Prepare

yourselves so that you are ready to go on the offensive once we know the

location of the Great Tiger Empire's regular army."

With that said, he left.

Mio brushed the tears from her eyes, looking straight forward as she

answered, "Yes, sir!"

At this point, a unit led by Margarita Wonder, who had once been a

general for the former Principality of Amidonia, came to their aid. Though

she was a singer now, she had returned to active service in order to answer

the threat to her homeland.

"Madam Mio! Are you all right?!" shouted the former general as she

dismounted.

Mio nodded. "Yes! I'm just fine, Madam Margarita!"

Her energetic response was met with a look of relief.

"Thank goodness. You really made me sweat when you headed off for a

spot where the defense looked ready to fall with so few soldiers. Sir Glaive

must be worried too."

"Sorry... You can scold me later. But right now..."

"Yes, you're right. We'll need to send these guys packing first."

Mio and Margarita stood side by side. The Duchy of Carmine was once

the shield that defended the Elfrieden Kingdom from the Principality of

Amidonia. Because of that, the Amidonian soldiers and the former

subordinates of the House of Carmine had been frequent enemies. Mio and

Margarita, two women who belonged to the formerly opposing forces, were

now comrades in arms. It was an experience that served to rouse their

spirits even in the face of this exhausting war.

"Let's go, Madam Mio! To defend our homelands!"

"Yes! We'll defend it to the end!"

The two of them fell into a fighting stance together.

It is said that zealots are more aggressive towards heretics than heathens.

This is because heathens have not yet been exposed to the path the believers

feel is righteous, and there is room for them to be saved through conversion.

But the heretic follows a mistaken belief while professing the name of the

same deity; there is no chance of their salvation.

For an easy example from Earth's history, you can look at the conflicts

between Catholics and Protestants. In the Thirty Years' War—which turned

from a war of religion to an international conflict—Catholics carried out

massacres in Protestant cities, and the enraged Protestants murdered their

Catholic captives as they begged for their lives. This, despite both sides

being Christian.

This was partially because those in power were taking advantage of

religious authority. It was inconvenient if the beliefs that justified their rule

were too similar to those spread by another ruler. It led to confusion and

concern that their own adherents would be drawn in by the similar faith,

like a kind of internecine hatred. That's why the leaders of the Lunarian

Orthodox Papal State loathed Archbishop Souji and Mary, who had set up

the heretical sect known as Kingdom Lunarian Orthodoxy.

More than seventy percent of the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State's forces

were volunteers rounded up to fight a "holy war." They were what you

might call "soldiers of the faith"—zealots. Despite being so hastily

assembled, they threw themselves at the regular forces of the Kingdom of

Friedonia so boldly because there were holy men who inflamed their fervor.

"Fight! Bring the hammer of God down on these heretics!"

"Exterminate the Friedonians who spread false teachings!"

"Lunaria is watching you! Fight bravely as soldiers of God!"

The militant clerics shouted to encourage the zealots.

Their violent and bellicose rhetoric came from the uncertainty eating

away at them. There have been constant purges in the Lunarian Orthodox

Papal State these past few years. It started with the rise of Fuuga Haan.

The group that supported him clashed with those that viewed him as a

threat. Everyone who'd opposed him, except for those who'd fled the

country like Mary and the saint candidates, found themselves suppressed as

heretics. And so, after the war between the Great Tiger Kingdom and the

Gran Chaos Empire, those who simply wanted to make use of Fuuga's

authority and those who worshiped him came into conflict. The worshippers

led by Saint Anne won out, burning the ones who had only wanted to use

him at the stake.

In short, the clergy of the Orthodox Papal State had been shown what

would happen to the losers in any political struggle. They found the very

existence of Kingdom Orthodoxy extremely threatening. If Souma defeated

Fuuga and Kingdom Orthodoxy rose in prominence, they might be the next

to be burned as heretics. Their fear and unease drove them to act, and the

zealots would move at their command.

Lombard saw the way they were fighting from the main camp of the

Great Tiger Empire's forces. The unit of reinforcements that he and his wife

Yomi led for the Great Tiger Empire remained in the main camp to guard

Anne, who was effectively the commander of this army. They were strictly

here to keep an eye on the Orthodox Papal State forces and had only

brought a few hundred men. Their mission was to protect the central pillar,

Anne, not to fight on the front lines.

"Despite all of the bloodshed... The Orthodox Papal State forces' morale

hasn't fallen in the slightest," Yomi murmured.

Lombard, who was standing beside her, nodded in agreement. "It's

terrifying to see them take on experienced soldiers with faith alone. I

wouldn't want to fight against them or lead them in battle."

"Even though they're our allies?"

"Such men are ever turbulent. There is no controlling them. If they

perpetrate massacres in the territory we take, there will be no way to rule it

with any stability. Of course, I'm sure that Sir Hashim's goal is not to take

territory at all, but to have them run wild and draw the enemy here..."

"So they're just...disposable pawns?"

Hashim's plans didn't intend for the Orthodox Papal State to be able to

push deep into the Amidonia Region. The zealots were not afraid of death

but couldn't carry out advanced military maneuvers. They would push

against even the hardest points in the enemy's defense, incurring losses, so

even if they made it in deeper, their supply lines wouldn't be able to keep

up with them. Hashim was probably hoping they'd die gloriously while

whittling down some of the enemy's strength and drawing their attention.

As proof of that, when Lombard and Yomi were sent to watch, the one

thing they'd been cautioned against was not to overextend themselves and

allow a total collapse.

Yomi looked towards the main camp of the Orthodox Papal State. "Does

Madam Anne...understand that?"

"She must. She understands, and yet inflames the zealots anyway."

"It pains me...looking at Madam Anne's face now. She's just like Sami

was that day," she said, her expression darkening.

She brought a hand to her chest as she recalled her estranged twin sister.

Seeing Anne act like a soulless doll in her role as a saint reminded Yomi of

when Sami was despondent over the loss of her adoptive father, whom

she'd loved so much.

Lombard showed gentle compassion to Yomi as the memories raced

through her mind.

Meanwhile in the Orthodox Papal State's main camp, Anne watched the

battle with an empty expression.

The believers fought with faith in God and in her as a saint as they were

wounded and fell. Anne didn't bat an eye. The only way she could protect

herself was to become a soulless puppet. Anne wouldn't command the

soldiers on her own. That was a job for the militant clerics to do. She

merely stood here as their saint, telling them to fight. She believed that was

the task set before her by heaven.

A change on the battlefield occurred as she watched. The believers had

been charging onward recklessly, but their movements suddenly became

strange.

Something was happening. Anne sensed it...

A faint singing voice drifted on the wind.

"Is that...a song?"

The voice was quiet enough to be lost in the din of the battlefield at first,

but it gradually grew louder and soon became so distinct that she could

make out the words. It was a Lunarian Orthodox hymn.

Their voices were carried all this way from the Kingdom of Friedonia's

camp.

Was this song dulling her zealots' movements on the battlefield? She

saw a large ball of water forming on the opposite side of the Kingdom of

Friedonia's forces. It was the kind used to display a jewel broadcast. As

Anne realized this, the image of Mary, who had defected to the Kingdom of

Friedonia, appeared.

"Hello, everyone. Can you hear me?" Mary said as she looked forward.

"I am speaking to all the believers of Lunaria who are fighting on the

battlefield. And to you, Anne...Lunarian Orthodox Saint."

Anne jumped a little when she was mentioned by name. Despite how far

away the image was, it felt like Mary was right there with her.

"Is my voice reaching you?"

In a room in a fortress a little to the south of the battlefield, Mary stood

before a broadcast jewel, her eyes focused ahead.

"I am sure that you, the faithful, see us as heretics for accepting the

protection of the Kingdom of Friedonia because the clerics you believe in

have told you so. But can you still believe that when you hear this song?"

Mary fell silent, and the sound of a Lunarian Orthodox hymn could be

heard.

This was the Lunaria Girls' Choir, composed of the saint candidates

who'd fled the country with Mary. Ever since it'd been discovered that

songs could be used to give form to a magical image, thus increasing its

power, the Kingdom of Friedonia had been studying the relationship

between songs and magic.

There was a secret art used in Lunarian Orthodoxy called Area Heal, and

they'd learned that having the wounded sing along with the song increased

the healing effects of recovery magic. As a result, the Kingdom of Friedonia

set up a broadcast program where the Lunaria Girls' Choir would sing at all

times, switching out members so they could take breaks as necessary. This

song played at medical facilities on every battlefield, and Mary was playing

it now to heal the wounded.

Mary spoke again. "As you know, this song is a Lunarian Orthodox

hymn. It's no different between Papal State Orthodoxy and Kingdom

Orthodoxy. So what is so different about us, who you call heretics? The

Lunaria we believe in is one and the same. The foundation of Lunarian

Orthodoxy is saving the weak and helping one another. Our beliefs have not

changed. All that differs is whether our protectors are the Kingdom of

Friedonia or the Great Tiger Empire."

With this, the look in Mary's eyes became harsh.

"Do those of you watching this understand the differences between us?

Or is what you know simply true because your bishops and priests said so?"

Although it was mentioned earlier that the zealous are more aggressive

towards heretics than heathens...that only applies to the ruling class, who

are inciting those beneath them. The rank-and-file believers haven't thought

it through that well. They're told to kill the heretics, so that's what they do,

believing that it must be the truth. The higher-ups have told them they can

do anything to the heretics, so any act against them, no matter how

inhumane, is justified.

But when pressed to explain the reasons for persecution themselves,

they're suddenly less confident. If asked someone to explain the difference

between Nestorianism, Arianism, and Athanasianism, or the difference

between Theravada and Mahayana, they wouldn't know unless they'd

studied it. The only people who obsess over such differences are those in

charge who fear the loss of their authority.

Mary presenting the hymn in this manner directly attacked the

psychology of the soldiers of the faith. They wouldn't listen to reason, but

the song was familiar to their ears. Once they were in a listening mood,

there was a chance Mary's voice might reach them.

"Let those in the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State's forces hear our

hymn."

This plan came from the Black-robed Prime Minister, who was good at

manipulating the intricacies of the heart. Now that they suspected their

opponents might also be believers in the same Lunaria, even those who had

previously been able to recklessly throw their lives away started to have

doubts that dulled their edge. The weight of the sin of murder, which they'd

forgotten in their fervor, started to feel very real to them once again. Most

zealots were just ordinary people who had been pushed into service. The

mental stress on them must have been incredible.

In practice, the song served to massively slow the zealots' maneuvers.

Mary couldn't see it from where she was, far from the battlefield, but she

spoke with conviction.

"In this country, I learned that faith is for the living, not the dead. It's

there to support people in times when they are suffering, and it should not,

by any means, be used as a tool to drive them to madness... Right, Saint

Anne?"

Mary spoke to Anne as if she were right there with her.

"Who is your faith for?"

Anne had no words.

She grew up an orphan. Alone in the world, with nowhere to belong, and

never needed by anyone. However, when she was chosen as a saint, she was

finally needed by others, and that became her identity. Her selection as a

saint was a message from heaven, telling her it was all right to exist in this

world. That's why Anne played the role of a saint like others wanted her to.

Even if people called her a doll, she believed that was her reason for

existing. As long as she was a saint, people would need her. If asked who it

was for, she'd be able to say it was for people...or she should have been able

to.

However, she'd seen too much blood for that. Those who were burned as

heretics; those seen as zealots who fell in battle, believing they were

fighting for Lunaria—believing that she was a saint; the face of the man

who'd been brought past her on a stretcher one day and clung to her with

his bloodstained hand. Countless deaths were seared into her memories.

No...I'm doing this...for Lady Lunaria...for the Holy King... Anne

thought of beings higher than herself. She tried to justify nullifying her own

will by convincing herself that this was all in line with their greater designs.

However, she'd never met Lady Lunaria or heard her revelations directly.

Holy King Fuuga had not treated her poorly either, but sometimes he

seemed to look at her with pity. She felt as though his eyes were the same as

Mary's when she told her, "Come with me."

"Who is your faith for?" It was now that Anne realized she had no

answer for Mary's question.

Then a large man appeared from off to the side of Mary. He was bearded

with a shaved head, dressed not in his typical casual monk's outfit, but in a

splendid vestment befitting an archbishop.

He stood beside Mary and spoke. "Ahh... Ahem. Adherents of Lunarian

Orthodoxy, can you hear me? I am Souji, head of Lunarian Orthodoxy in

the Kingdom of Friedonia. I know you're busy fighting, but just lend me

your ears for a moment."

It was Archbishop Souji Lester of Kingdom Orthodoxy. The reason he

called it Lunarian Orthodoxy in the Kingdom of Friedonia and not

Kingdom Lunarian Orthodoxy was likely due to what Mary said about there

being hardly any difference between the two.

"Now, back when I was in the Orthodox Papal State, my teacher and

those around him said this: Lady Lunaria is merciful. She offers the hand of

salvation to everyone, no matter how sinful. Lunarian Orthodoxy is the

teaching of how to accept that hand, and all of the faithful will be taken to

Lady Lunaria's side after their deaths... Perhaps you've all been taught

similarly?"

We have, thought Anne. That was exactly what she'd learned, and why

she could believe that in her existence as a saint for the sake of Lady

Lunaria.

Souji cracked his neck and then continued.

"Isn't that a little odd? If Lady Lunaria is willing to forgive anyone, no

matter how sinful, and all of the faithful will be saved after death, then

what's it matter how we live? We'll be saved anyway, right? This tells us

that, so long as you believe, you don't have to do anything for the faith."

Huh...? His words gouged deep into Anne's heart. This was an absurd

argument. It's only Souji's personal interpretation.

However, while thinking about this, she didn't outright reject the

sentiment. In fact, every teaching rested on someone's interpretation of it.

People couldn't meet God themselves, so no faith could be established

without people interpreting the will of God.

"Once that thought occurred to me, I felt like I understood why the

teachings tell us to aid the weak and help one another. If everyone who

believes in Lady Lunaria will be saved, there's no need to help each other,

right? But there are so many people suffering these days that, yes, we do

need to help one another. Since the merciful Lady Lunaria will save us after

our deaths, while we're in this world, we need to support one another until

we die."

He paused to let his words sink in.

"Right now...your priests may be telling you, 'The path to Lady Lunaria

is to die in battle,' but a truly merciful Lady Lunaria wouldn't discriminate

between those who did or didn't fight here. Now, sure, you can fight. And

even if you kill people or are killed yourself, Lady Lunaria's going to save

you, but you really don't have to do that. You can run back to your families,

and she'll still save you."

It was a crafty use of words. If he said, "Lady Lunaria won't save you

even if you fight here," then the zealots would've brushed it off as the

enemy's nonsense. However, by stating that they'd be saved whether they

fought or not, the zealots wondered if his words were true. They would've

ignored him outright if they felt he was repudiating them. But hearing his

acceptance of their actions, they considered his viewpoint. This was all

thanks to Souji's skills as an expert quibbler.

"Lady Lunaria will save those who believe in her. Believe in Lunaria,

help the weak, and help each other... After that, you're free to do whatever

you want."

Souji's words broke the zealots.

They were free to fight and free to go home to their families. Either way,

Lady Lunaria would save them. It was hard to continue fighting once they

heard that. Some might've wanted to die here and have their salvation now,

but that wasn't the will of the entire group. Once people began to run away

to return to their families, others followed suit.

The battle lines of the Orthodox Papal State quickly fell into shambles as

more and more fled, realizing their defeat. The Kingdom of Friedonia's

forces did not pursue the fleeing zealots, focusing only on the soldiers who

came at them, but many chose to run away.

Anne watched the total collapse of her forces in silence.

"Lady Anne! This battle is hopeless!"

"It's dangerous here! We must retreat at once!"

As the commanders with her offered their advice, the guards protecting

the main camp were sent flying by a sudden cavalry charge.

"Seize Saint Anne! Once we do, victory is ours!"

A unit led by Mio Carmine had raced across the chaotic battlefield,

penetrating the Orthodox Papal State's main camp. Mio rode on horseback,

cutting down men with her two longswords as she passed, closing in on

Anne, who could only stand there.

As she approached, a knight suddenly rode in from the side, striking at

Mio with a lance.

"I won't let you!" he yelled.

"Urgh!" Mio blocked the attack, but her charge was stopped.

Lombard, the armored knight, commanded, "We'll take over from here!

Forces of the Orthodox Papal State, retreat with haste!"

"You think I'll let you?!"

Mio's two longswords swung at Lombard. She had the skills to go toeto-toe with Aisha, the Kingdom's greatest warrior, so Lombard was quickly

forced onto the defensive, but he used his lance and shield to endure her

attacks.

As they fought, Lombard shouted, "So long as we have Saint Anne, the

Orthodox Papal State remains a threat that the Kingdom of Friedonia can't

ignore. You must pull back now, so as not to let this unit go after Lord

Fuuga!"

Hearing him, the commanders next to Anne started to drag her away.

Mio's unit tried to pursue them, but Lombard's men desperately pushed

back.

"Ngh! Get out of my way already!"

"I refuse!"

While Lombard's overall abilities were high, he didn't have anything

extraordinary that set him apart from other warriors. Still, his temperate

personality and his sincerity meant that he was considered one of the more

reliable people in the Great Tiger Empire. Despite Mio's relentless

onslaught, he held on to performing his duty.

Suddenly, Lombard's lance shattered. He went to grab the sword at his

hip, but Mio's longswords were closing in.

"Lord Lom!" A chunk of ice shot along the ground towards them,

forcing Mio back and putting some distance between them. Lombard's

wife, Yomi, had arrived in time with her unit of mages.

Yomi tried to order them to attack Mio, but Margarita rode in with a unit

of her own from the Kingdom of Friedonia's land forces, and they put up a

defensive wall in front of Mio. A back and forth struggle broke out between

the different units. But with the Orthodox Papal State forces fleeing while

more of Friedonia's forces gathered, only Lombard and his men remained,

holding their ground.

Seeing that the retreat was finished, Lombard cast down his sword and

shouted, "Hear me, my men, and men of Friedonia! With the Orthodox

Papal State having fled, our job is done! Further fighting serves no purpose!

Everyone, cast down your weapons! And men of Friedonia! We surrender,

so please, let the hostilities end here!"

Hearing Lombard, the fighting gradually stopped, and Lombard's men

dropped their swords to signal it was over. There was the ringing of

weapons falling to the ground for a while, but eventually, the battlefield fell

quiet, and Lombard knelt before Mio, his head lowered.

"We give up our weapons. People of Friedonia, I wish you to know that

the responsibility for this losing battle is mine, and I ask that you guarantee

the safety of my troops!"

"Lord Lombard..." Yomi got down beside him, also lowering her head.

Seeing both of them, Mio and Margarita exchanged glances, then

nodded together.

As their representative, Mio spoke. "For now, we will disarm the

survivors and take them prisoner. His Majesty will be the one to decide

what to do with you, but I can guarantee your safety until that time."

"Thank you."

"Yes..."

Lombard and Yomi bowed their heads.

The surviving soldiers who could still walk were bound and taken away

while the wounded were carried out. Lombard and Yomi were the last to be

tied up. As they were loaded onto a prisoner carriage, Mio called out to

them.

"Umm... I know I probably shouldn't say this right now, but, Madam

Yomi, you're Sir Ichiha's elder sister, right? I have instructions from Sir

Glaive to see that you're treated with every courtesy."

The two of them bowed their heads slightly at her words.

"I'm in your debt..."

"Thank you."

And so the carriage took them away. Mio watched the carriage go by

when she suddenly noticed Kagetora was standing beside her.

Without turning to look at him, she said, "Normally...I shouldn't say that

sort of thing to a defeated general. Will you scold me for it?"

It sounded almost like she wanted him to rebuke her. However, Kagetora

neither nodded nor shook his head.

"You are already the head of the House of Carmine. You must choose for

yourself whether your decisions were correct."

He neither confirmed nor rejected her methods. But the care in his voice

brought a wan smile to Mio's face.

"Haha... You're as strict as ever."

Meanwhile, around that same time...

Having finished the broadcast, Mary quietly observed as the members of

the House of Juniro (the family of Ivan Juniro, who played Overman

Silvan) carried off the jewel and other equipment. They'd already received

word of the victory via messenger kui. Their job here was done. The forces

of the Orthodox Papal State had collapsed, and some important

commanders were taken hostage. That being the case, another attack from

across the border was unlikely.

"Little Miss Mary."

Souji's voice brought Mary back to her senses.

"Ah! Your Holiness."

He scratched his head awkwardly, seemingly unsure what to say. "Um...

Hey... You okay? You look rather troubled."

"Oh... Do I?"

"Yeah. If you need to talk to someone, I'm all ears, you know? It's part

of church business, after all."

"Now that you mention it, I suppose it is," Mary said with a little laugh.

"I was thinking about Anne."

"The Great Tiger Empire's saint?"

"Yes. She is...one possibility for what I could have become."

Mary lowered her eyes, pained to think about it.

"She has no will of her own. Good or ill. She's looking for a place to

belong, and she'll go on silencing her own thoughts and being a saint just so

that someone will tell her it's okay for her to be there. That's the fate of an

orphaned girl chosen to be a saint candidate by the Orthodox Papal State."

Souji was at a loss for words.

Mary had once been exactly the same. After being chosen as a saint for

King Souma, she had the chance to leave the Orthodox Papal State and

experience this country's culture, and in doing so, she realized how warped

it all was. But Anne never had that opportunity. Mary couldn't help but

think of Anne as similar to her back then, having become a saint without

knowing any other way of life.

"No matter how many faithful believers she sends to die on the

battlefield... No matter how many of her political opponents are burned

before her eyes... Deep down, she is still pure and innocent, doing what

people ask her to."

Tears streamed from Mary's eyes. Tears for Anne.

"What... What I was saying earlier... It's going to push her into a corner.

I just told a girl who's been suppressing her own will for the sake of others

that she has to reflect on her actions. That's forcing her to confront what

she's been looking away from to protect her own heart. If she looks back

now, aware of all the bloodshed along her path, it could very well break

her."

Souji kept listening as Mary spoke, her words mixed with sobs.

"In all the world...I'm the one...who should understand her better than

anyone else... And yet, I'm the one trying to destroy her place... I

know...that I'm doing it for the greater good, but...that doesn't mean it's not

frustrating..."

If Anne and the Orthodox Papal State were left as they were, no doubt

even more of this country's blood would have been shed. Even if it hurt her

emotionally, Mary couldn't let herself regret it. Because if the people of this

country heard her talking this way, they'd angrily ask if she thought they

ought to be suffering instead. Filled with such thoughts and emotions, she

felt something tighten in her chest.

"C'mere, Little Lady."

"Your Holiness...?"

In a move that was rare for a guy as tactless as Souji, he gently put his

arms around Mary. He didn't tell her that she was right or wrong, he just

wrapped himself around her like an unfamiliar vestment.

"Ohhh... Your Holiness... Wahhhhh!"

Like a dam breaking, the tears she'd been holding back rushed out. Souji

gently patted her on the head as she wailed.

"The heart's not easy to heal. But time and compassionate people can

gradually fill in the scars. I've seen it a lot in my line of work. When people

want to rely on God, it's usually to vent about their suffering, so a lot of

folks come talk to me about their emotional wounds."

His words floated down to her from above.

"If someone is going to collapse from those wounds, and it's someone

you care about, then keep extending the hand of salvation. You know how

the king's been saying he's gonna train...psychologists, I think he called

them? Some kind of heart doctor. And that he wants the Kingdom Church

to help him with that, right? Well, maybe...this country can heal those

wounds of the heart. So, little missy, you've gotta be ready to help her when

the time comes."

Mary raised her head. "Is it...okay to help her?"

She seemed uncertain, but Souji gave her a firm nod.

"Faith, and the church, are there to save the lost. That's a whole lot more

church-y than suppressing heretics or stirring people up so they'll go off

and shed blood for you, now isn't it?" he said in a deliberately jokey tone.

Wiping her tears, Mary nodded. "Yes, Your Holiness!"

Thus did the battle on the Lunaria-Amidonia front come to an early end

with a victory for the Kingdom of Friedonia. However, while Lombard and

Yomi were taken captive, Saint Anne was still out there, so the Amidonian

Front Force had to remain on guard against the Orthodox Papal State.

The war would be decided by the showdown between Souma and Fuuga