What you could see and hear was limited to Sophia and the events around the city where Sophia was.

Therefore, it was impossible to directly confirm things like the international situation. Even if you could confirm it, you couldn’t leave Sophia behind and go elsewhere, anyway.

However, it was possible to understand the circumstances of other places through the chatter of the city people.

— Hey, have you heard that story?

— You mean the story about the kingdom?

Originally, the people of Doria were fond of chattering and discussing all sorts of topics, and they were also very interested in outside affairs.

There was a limitation in that it wasn’t an era where information itself was easily shared, but it wasn’t a big problem to grasp the general world situation.

Regarding the fall of the Kingdom of Ev, other kingdoms showed hysterical reactions.

Envoys from various nations came to deliver letters from their kings denouncing Doria’s actions, and provocations continued at the border.

However, no nation directly moved their army to invade.

People’s reactions were divided into two.

— We should have killed all those royals horribly! It’s because we handled it half-heartedly that they’re so arrogant! They’re acting up because they think they won’t die, anyway! We should have hung all those wicked oppressors outside the city walls and let birds peck at their corpses!

— Haa, still, since we punished the royals according to rational procedures, it seems they’re not thinking of war yet. The fact that envoys are coming instead of armies marching out right away means they still consider us as dialogue partners, doesn’t it? We must maintain reason and discipline.

Some argued that “the crisis of war came because we didn’t act more radically”, while the other side claimed that “we were able to avoid war because we didn’t forget moderation”.

This was also a debate about whether Sophia or Sophia’s older brother was right.

Although she had risen to a position where she could grasp the power of the city itself depending on her actions, Sophia showed no particular interest in political strife.

She always acted like a scholar.

She observed, researched, experimented, discussed, and also taught.

Especially recently, the proportion of the last action had increased significantly.

— Teacher, what does this part written here mean?

— Teacher, I’ve finished my homework.

— Teacher!

The name of the girl who followed Sophia around with the excitement of a puppy on a snowy day was Langwidere.

She was the former princess of the Kingdom of Ev, and now a citizen of Doria and Sophia’s student.

The circumstances of how the princess of a fallen nation became Sophia’s student were somewhat complex, and it started with the issue of how to treat the royals.

Since Doria, which had no royal family to begin with, couldn’t possibly have “rules for punishing royalty”, they had to create new related laws after long debates, but given that the law was made in a situation where the entire city was full of fear and hostility towards monarchical nations, its content couldn’t be moderate.

Men who were involved or could have been involved in state affairs were sentenced to death or imprisonment or labor close to death on the logic that “they treated the nation as their private property and sucked the blood of the people”.

Adult women became slaves under Doria’s citizens, mainly the soldiers who destroyed the Kingdom of Ev, on the logic that “they failed to manage their households well and prevent men from falling into vice”.

What remained was Langwidere, who didn’t fall under any of the above conditions.

The radical faction seemed to think that since it wasn’t a large number anyway and it was just one person, there was no need for special treatment and she should be bundled with the women and made a slave, but the moderate faction argued that it was immoral to blame a child who didn’t even properly know the ways of the world for the war.

After lengthy discussion, Langwidere was released without any special punishment, but the problem came after that.

Single-digit age. No possessions. No relatives or acquaintances who could help.

Although they didn’t openly criticize her since she had been found innocent, there were many citizens who harbored latent hostility.

The possibility of a young girl surviving alone in this situation was close to finding a needle in a desert.

There were citizens who felt sympathy for Langwidere’s situation, but in the current atmosphere, taking in a former royal was a very burdensome act even if their nation had already fallen.

— If you’re okay with it, would you like to come with me?

It was Sophia who extended her hand to Langwidere in this situation.

Someone who saved her when her entire family was about to be annihilated, who extended a hand when she was about to starve to death as an orphan with nowhere to go, and who gave teachings as a teacher.

It would have been strange if Langwidere didn’t have affection for Sophia.

There were those who criticized Sophia for showing an excessively friendly attitude towards the royals, and even within the same school, there were voices of concern, but Sophia didn’t mind.

Naturally, Sophia was well aware of concepts such as the gaze of others or the flow of public opinion, and sometimes used them, but she didn’t bend her own will to conform to them.

Extending a helping hand to an innocent child was the right thing for her.

Under Sophia’s protection, Langwidere grew up healthily.

The student respected the teacher, and in turn, the teacher cherished the student. The appearance of the two sometimes looked like mother and daughter.

You watched their appearance with mixed feelings.

The two looked very happy, but you instinctively felt that this happiness wouldn’t last long.

Sure enough, misfortune came not long after.

After the elderly priest met his death, his successor, who had been vacant for quite a long time, finally appeared.

— Hello, everyone. I’m Erichthon, who will be delivering God’s words in this city from today.

Contrary to expectations that he would act as a touring priest traveling here and there on earth like his predecessor, the priest named Erichthon announced that he would become the “priest of the council”, and people were excited about this.

In this era, a priest being “exclusively attached” to a specific individual or group was proof that the subject was that powerful.

Only the royalty of each nation, or great nobles equivalent to royalty, could have an exclusive priest by their side and receive their benefits, but Doria, which had no royal family, had been excluded from this for a long time.

Erichthon’s words meant that he would treat Doria’s “council” as equal to the “royal families” of monarchical nations, so people were pleased.

They were happy to gain the same authority while denying royal families. It seemed quite strange to you.

After settling in the city, the first thing he did was “selection”.

Checking for the presence of holy power and taking those with holy power to the Kingdom of Heaven.

People reached out to the emerald fragments held by the priest and his followers as if praying, and only a few of them could gain qualification with joy on their faces.

Langwidere, who participated in the selection, had a face full of enthusiasm.

As Langwidere respected Sophia, she seemed to think that if she could use holy power like her teacher, she could become more like her teacher.

— Place your hand here and pray towards God.

At the words of one of the attendants, Langwidere nervously placed her hand on the emerald.

Immediately after, brilliant radiance overflowed around her body.

However, the color was not pure white like Sophia’s, but deep emerald like the fragment in her hand.

People murmured, and the attendants couldn’t hide their surprise.

Erichthon’s reaction was especially dramatic.

In his wide-open eyes, a creepy light was created as ecstasy, greed, and madness were complexly intertwined.

He hurriedly approached Langwidere, leaving behind the other procession waiting for him, and said.

— Oh, this humble servant of the Lord sees one with great qualifications. May I ask your name?

Langwidere looked a bit flustered, but soon answered with a calm attitude unlike a child.

— My name is Langwidere, Priest Erichthon.

— I see, Lady Langwidere. The talent you were born with is more valuable and precious than any jewel. Instead of this lowly place, go to the Kingdom of Heaven with me right now. The most beautiful and precious things in heaven will be yours.

— Ah, no. I have no intention of going. I’m going to stay here with Teacher Sophia.

Despite Langwidere clearly expressing her refusal, Erichthon didn’t stop.

— You seem to be flustered because the situation is too sudden. That can happen. But don’t worry. Once you go to heaven, your perspective will surely change. You’ll certainly understand that the things you thought were important on earth are nothing but useless dust compared to life there.

Erichthon was smiling very kindly, but his words and actions were extremely arrogant.

It was so from the beginning, degrading Langwidere’s words to the level of a joke by an ignorant child, and then unilaterally pushing his own claims.

Just as he reached out to grab Langwidere, Sophia blocked his way.

Langwidere quickly hid behind Sophia’s back.

Sophia said to Erichthon, who slightly frowned.

— Priest Erichthon, my student doesn’t seem to have any intention of ascending to heaven, so could you stop forcing her any further?

— That’s because Lady Langwidere doesn’t know her own destiny well. If she sees the appearance of heaven even once, her thoughts will surely change.

— Isn’t that your judgment, Priest? When the person in question is expressing her refusal so clearly, ignoring that doesn’t look very good.

The priest tried to refute again, but soon seemed to realize the gazes directed at him from around.

Bewilderment, question, strangeness, and hostility mixed with distrust felt from some.

As if finally realizing his own state, he managed his expression again and said.

— I apologize. I seem to have lost my composure for a moment out of too much emotion.

— We’re human. Mistakes can happen.

— …Yes.

The situation seemed to be settled like that, but you, watching the scene from an observer’s perspective, could see.

The emotions of anger and humiliation that the priest revealed on his face in a place where people’s gazes couldn’t reach.

Thinking that this guy would clearly do something, you carefully observed his movements while being careful not to stray too far from Sophia.

A few days later.

The priest and Sophia’s older brother made contact.

A few weeks later.

A large-scale invasion of Doria by neighboring nations occurred.

Due to the unilateral attack without even a declaration of war, the armies belonging to the Doria suffered consecutive defeats, and people were terrified.

However, thanks to the “heroic activities” of Sophia’s older brother, the unfavorable war situation quickly returned to a state of equilibrium.

People praised the older brother’s bravery and strategy. In that overwhelming support, the voice of the radical faction he led grew louder, and conversely, the voice of the moderate faction became smaller.

A few months later.

The older brother continued to win consecutive victories, and people cheered just seeing his shadow.

He told people that he was able to win because heaven’s blessing was with him. That the Kingdom of Heaven was Doria’s strongest ally.

That the people of the Kingdom of Heaven were giving up many things to be with us, the righteous ones, instead of those evil kingdoms, so we, too, should do our best for them.

The pressure from around to hand over Langwidere grew stronger, but Sophia endured.

The moderates raised their voices hard, saying this was an act of suppressing intellect through force, but people ignored this.

A year later.

The army led by the older brother suffered a crushing defeat.

Moreover, strange rumors began to circulate in the city.

It was a rumor that traitors existing in the city had leaked the older brother’s position to the enemies to recover their unstable position, resulting in the older brother being seriously injured in an ambush, and because of that, they suffered a great defeat.

In the fear of defeat, people began to direct gazes of suspicion and anger towards easy targets instead of seeking the truth.

And, some time later again.

A wall made of emerald encased the city.

The heavenly priest shouted towards the people of the city.

— Now, everyone! Prove your innocence! Only the innocent will receive salvation!

***

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