Chapter 6 – I Have Turned Nine Years Old
“Lord Calisto, is the preparation proceeding well?”
“Yes, Duke Capel. Thanks to your assistance, it is progressing smoothly!”
In the reception room of the castle of the Duchy of Capel in the Kolts territory, Archbishop Calisto of the Costelle Church bowed his head in deep emotion, having safely set foot on the land of the Holy Kingdom of Taliteld once again.
Due to his radical beliefs, he was originally supposed to be transferred to Sigress instead of the main church in Taliteld. However, thanks to the understanding of Duke Capel, who provided the funding, and the intervention with the main church of the Costelle Church, Calisto was able to return to the Holy Kingdom much earlier than planned.
Realistically, no matter how much merit Calisto accumulated in the church of Sigress, the College of Cardinals would not have allowed his return as long as he did not change his beliefs.
But Calisto was able to return because the Duchy of Capel wanted him as the person in charge of building a grand cathedral in the Kolts territory.
As a religious person, Calisto did not need to bow down to Duke Capel, even though he should show him due respect. But because he could not help but acknowledge that his wish was realized by the power of Duke Capel, Calisto could not be assertive towards him.
(… With this, I am one step closer to my “ideal”.)
Calisto had an ideal.
It was the realization of lasting peace in this world.
When Calisto was young, he lived in poverty. He was not born poor, but his family’s good fortune ended within a few years, and Calisto was placed in a remote orphanage.
Now he understands that this orphanage was a place for children in a special position – ones who were kept alive but whose deaths would not matter. The caretakers were also cold towards the orphans, and Calisto was despised by them as “the child of a sinner.”
This life changed when Calisto was seven years old. He was taken in by a woman priest who was apparently a friend of his mother. She had a high position within the Costelle Church and taught Calisto the teachings of God to reform him.
The life there transformed Calisto into a devout believer, but also twisted his heart.
Calisto’ parents were probably high-ranking nobles. They committed a great sin, but Calisto, being young, was not held accountable and was allowed to live. He vaguely became aware of this, but because he had fond memories of his kind parents, he came to believe that his suffering was not due to his parents’ sin, but the fault of the world.
Conflicts never cease in this world. It is because people fight that they commit sins. Calisto understood that this distortion of the world was the root problem, and he began to think about how to correct the world.
Calisto’ ideal… lasting peace. But anyone who hears it would see it as mere fantasy, and those who know reality would consider it impossible.
That is why “religion” exists. If humans cannot restrain their own desires, they can only bind themselves with the “shackles” of religion, using the great existence of “God” as a support for their hearts.
Calisto ponders…
Is that really alright?
There are admirable people in the world. But there are also foolish ones. Just as there are the wealthy, there are also the impoverished. Good and evil, the sacred and the profane, exist equally.
To build peace, these things must be properly managed.
It won’t do to simply exclude the wicked and the foolish. Those who have tried to create peace throughout history using such means have all failed.
It is impossible for a human, who is not almighty like God.
But… the answer was right beside him.
Instead of flawed humans, if the power of the “true God” could correctly “manage” all people, that would be the solution.
One answer to that was shown to him through the envoy of a great nation, via Duke Capel.
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“By the way, Lord Calisto. I heard you had the chance to meet that girl in Sigress. What did you think of her?”
“Yes…”
The “girl” Duke Capel spoke of was most likely Princess Eurushia.
In Calisto’ eyes, she was a figure worthy of being called a “saint” – possessing great power and a strong heart.
At first, he was struck by a nameless fear upon seeing her inhuman beauty and aura, even in her youth. He had never imagined such a human could exist.
But that fear vanished in an instant.
Calisto was astonished to see her show a face appropriate for her age, laughing at something just like the other girls of that age, reminding him that she was also human like them.
If Princess Eurushia had acted as coldly as her appearance suggested, Calisto might have hesitated to acknowledge her as a saint. But the fact that this “saintly” girl seemed the most human of all present convinced Calisto that she was the “real thing.”
Feeling slightly displeased at being called “that girl,” Calisto desperately tried to convey his impression of her.
“Indeed, I have met with her. That power… that strength, it is truly worthy of a holy maiden–“
“I see, I see. If that power is so strong, then it is sufficient. Perhaps it could be useful for that young woman.”
Duke Capel interrupted Calisto’s words, chuckling condescendingly, and nodding to himself as if in approval.
“… Was today’s business regarding the princess?”
Calisto, who had thought he had been summoned regarding the completion of the great cathedral in the Kolts territory, suppressed his dissatisfaction and spoke up hesitantly.
“Oh, pardon me. I was also curious about whether that girl could be useful, but today I have someone I would like to introduce to you.”
“Introduce…?”
“Yes. Somebody, please call for Isabella.”
Duke Capel called out to a maid in the room. Isabella was the duke’s current first wife. And Calisto had heard that she was the one who recommended him to become the archbishop of this land.
While Duke Capel made the final decision, if his wife had not spoken up for Calisto, the latter would likely have returned to the Holy Kingdom much later.
After a short while,
the door that the maid had left through opened again, and a noble lady appeared.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Calisto. I am Isabella.”
“Madam Isabella. Thank you for this opportunity. I am Calisto.”
Duchess Isabella of Capel was a beautiful woman much younger than her husband. This was because she was Duke Capel’s second wife, and was not related by blood to his two older sons.
“Then, let me introduce this person to you, Lord Calisto.”
As she said that, a burly-looking large man awkwardly came through the open door.
“This is Lord Cordel, who has been invited from Terthed.”
“I am Cordel-Dren.”
“From the armed nation…”
This man, Cordel, was a rugged man with silver hair like a lion. He seemed to be in his forties. His attire was similar to what an upper-class nobleman in Taliteld would wear, but his physique was robust and muscular, and he was very tall.
Terthed, the northern neighbor of Taliteld,
was an unusual nation whose main industries were the manufacture and sale of weapons and armaments. However, in a world where there were enemies other than humans, such as monsters and demon tribes, it was not mocked as a “merchant of death.”
On the contrary, it was known as a mercenary nation, and small countries suffering greatly from monster damage would hire them as needed, maintaining good relations with neighboring countries as a benevolent nation.
Why would a person from this armed nation be here in the Kolts territory?
“Could it be that this person is–“
“Yes, Lord Calisto. This Cordel is a leading expert in summoning magic, and has agreed to provide technical assistance in this matter.”
“Oh…!”
Hearing Duke Capel’s words, Calisto bent his head with an emotional expression, as if this person might fulfill his long-held hopes.
Cordel, who seemed to be a researcher on imbuing weapons with magic, looked like a warrior despite this impression. But contrary to this, when he touched Calisto’s shoulder as the latter bowed, he gave a gentlemanly smile and encouraged Calisto.
“I am just a humble researcher. I believe that my research has been of use because the steadfast activities of Lord Calisto have borne fruit.”
“Thank you, Lord Cordel!”
At Cordel’s strong words, the anxiety that had been stubbornly clinging to the depths of Calisto’s heart seemed to disappear.
Why did the people of the ducal house notice Calisto, whom no one had ever looked at before?
Why would a great nation like Terthed lend a hand to a person like Calisto, who had been relegated to an obscure position?
Why did they agree with Calisto’s ideals, which were merely a dream?
Why did they invest a large amount of money in Calisto’s dream, without any guarantees?
Why, why, why…?
Even though everything was going well… no, precisely because it was going too well, Calisto had a lingering doubt in the back of his mind that there must be some mistake, or that he was being used. But by the teachings of God to trust in people, he had suppressed these feelings.
That sediment had now been cleansed. Praying in gratitude to the goddess Costelle, the smile of the goddess seemed to transform into the form of the young “holy maiden” he had met in Sigress.
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